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I 


SERMONS 


ON  THE 


GOSPELS  OF  THE  ECCLESIASTICAL  YEAR 


BY 


HENRY  SIECK, 

Pastor  of  Mount  Olive  Lutheran  Church,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 


PART  FIRST. 


St.  Louis,  Mo. 

CONCORDIA  PUBLISHING  HOUSE. 

1902. 


PREFACE. 


Of  the  early  Christians  at  Jerusalem  we  read  that 
they  continued  steadfastly  in  the  apostles''  doctrine,  and 
the  apostles  themselves  spoke  not  as  of  themselves,  but 
preached  and  propagated  the  doctrine  committed  to  them 
by  their  Lord  and  confirmed  to  them  by  the  Spirit  whom 
He  had  sent  from  the  Father.  Thus  did  they,  preachers 
and  hearers,  bear  the  first  and  foremost  token  of  true  dis- 
cipleship,  according  to  their  Master's  word.  If  ye  continue 
in  my  ivord,  then  are  ye  my  disciples  indeed.  Again,  when 
Antichrist  set  up  his  throne  in  the  church,  the  chief  abomi- 
nations in  holy  places  were  the  false  doctrines  whereby 
the  souls  of  men,  instead  of  being  made  free  by  the  truth 
of  the  gospel,  were  fettered  and  held  in  bondage  and  the 
thraldom  of  a  worse  than  Babylonian  captivity.  And 
when,  in  the  days  of  the  Reformation,  the  bulwarks  of 
Satan  were  laid  low  and  Israel  was  set  free,  this  wondrous 
work  of  God  was  performed  by  the  restoi'ation  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ  to  the  preachers  and  hearers  of  Christen- 
dom. Alas,  then  came  a  time  when  this  kindly  light  of 
saving  truth  was  again  obscured,  when  rationalism  was 
enthroned  in  the  pulpits  of  what  went  under  the  name,  ])ut 
no  longer  fought  under  the  standards,  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  It  was  then  chiefly  in  the  old  books  handed  down 
from  better  days  and  read  and  reread  at  the  firesides  of 


IV  PREFACE. 

humble  people,  whose  libraries  consisted  of  the  Bible,  the 
Hymnbook,  the  Catechism,  and  the  family  postils,  that 
the  pure  doctrine  of  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  was 
still  the  bread  of  life  which  nourished  immortal  souls  imto 
life  everlasting.  God  bless  those  old  postils  and  those 
who  read  them,  the  old  German  postils,  of  which  there 
are  thousands  also  in  this  country,  where  they  have  con- 
tributed and  still  contril)ute  not  a  little  toward  keeping 
preachers  and  hearers  steadfastly  in  the  apostles'  doctrine. 
For  though  by  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  God  the 
Lutheran  church  is  no  longer  aii  unknowni  quantity  in 
America,  and  its  light  of  pure  doctrine  is  not  hidden  under 
a  bushel,  but  shines  throughout  the  land  from  coast  to 
coast,  and  to  far  distant  shores  beyond  the  seas,  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  this  light  of  pure  Scripture  doctrine 
came  to  the  restorers  of  sound  Lutheranism  m  America 
largely  through  the  quarto  and  folio  volumes  of  the  six- 
teenth and  seventeenth  centuries  and  was  to  a  consider- 
able extent  exhibited  and  communicated  to  hearers  and 
readers  directly  from  these  sources.  Nor  are  the  days 
of  their  usefulness  now  at  an  end.  May  their  blessings 
never  cease. 

But  here  we  have  a  new  postil,  not  in  the  language 
of  Luther  and  of  the  land  of  our  fathers  in  the  faith  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  And  this  should  not  be  a  cause  of 
regret,  but  of  grateful  rejoicing.  For  here  we  have  the 
same  doctrine,  pure  and  unalloyed,  the  same  precious 
truth  of  God  which  the  apostles  and  prophets  set  forth  l)y 
divine  inspiration,  whicli  was  professed  by  the  martyrs, 
was  voiced  forth  in  strains  of  spiritual  song,  was  cherished 
by  our  fathers,  is  held  in  sacred  esteem  by  ourselves,  and 
is  being,  God  grant  it,  handed  down  to  our  children  and 
children's   children,    also   in   the   language  in   which   this 


PREFACE. 


volume  speaks,  and  in  which  these  sermons  were  preached. 
Every  page  of  the  book  bears  testimony  that  the  preacher 
and  his  hearers  continue  steadfastly  in  the  apostles'  doc- 
trine. May  the  same  be  said  of  its  readers,  and  may  their 
numbers  be  great  and  mcreasing.  May  the  Lord,  who 
blessed  the  old  postils,  abundantly  bless  this  new  one. 
And  let  those  who  love  Zion  say.  Yea  and  Amen. 

Pago  Pago,  Tutuila,  April  2,  1902. 

A.  L.  Graebner. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

First  Sunday  in  Advent.     Matt.  21,  1 — 9.  —  "Beliold,  Thy  King  Cometh 

unto  Thee!" ■It 1 

Second  Sunday  in  Advent.    Luke  21,  25 — 36.  — The  Last  Day  a  Day  of  Joy 

for  All  True  Christians 7 

Third  Sunday  in  Advent.    Matt.  11,  2 — 10.  —  That  Jesus  Christ  is  Truly  tlie 

Messiah  who  Should  Come 14 

Fourth  Sunday  in  Advent.    John  1,  19 — 28.  —  The  Christian's  Confession 

concerning  Jesus 21 

Gospel  on  Christmas  Day.    Luke  2,  1 — 14.  —  The  Angel's  Message:   Unto 

You  is  Bom  this  Day  a  Savior 27 

Gospel  on  Second  Christmas  Day.     Luke  2,  15 — 20.  —  The  Faith  of  the 

Shepherds 32 

Sunday  after  Christmas.    Luke  2,  33 — 40.  —  What  our  Gospel  Proposes  to 

us  for  the  Last  Sunday  in  the  Year 37 

New  Year's  Day.    Luke  2,  21.  — Two  New  Year's  Gifts 43 

Sunday  after  New  Year.    Matt.  2,  13 — 23.  —  How  the  Enemies  Plot  against 

Christ  and  His  Kingdom 48 

Epiphany.    Matt.  2,  1 — 12.  —  True  Wisdom  to  be  Learned  of  the  Wise  Men     54 

First  Epiphany.    Luke  2,  41 — 52.  —  Parental  Care  and  Authority (51 

Second  Epiphany.    John  2,  1 — 11.  —  The  Blessedness  of  Those  who  have 

Jesus  with  them  in  the  Matrimonial  State 67 

Third  Epiphany.    Matt.  8,  1 — 13.  —  True  Faith's  Foundation  and  Fruits. . .     75 

Fourth  Epiphany.    Matt.  8,  23— 27.  — The  Weak  Faith 81 

Fifth  Epiphany.  Matt.  13,  24 — 30. — Tares  among  the  Wheat,  or,  The  Con- 
dition of  the  Church  on  Earth 87 

Christ's  Presentation  in  the  Temple.    Luke  2,  22 — 32.  —  Who  can  Depart 

this  Life  in  Peace  like  Simeon  ? 93 

Septuagesima  Sunday.  Matt.  20,  1 — IG. — Our  Labor  in  the  Lord's  Vine- 
yard, and  Our  Reward 98 

Sexagesima  Sunday.  Luke  8,  4 — 15. — The  True  Reason  why  so  Many  De- 
rive no  Benefit  from  the  Hearing  of  the  Word  of  God 104 

Quinquagesima  Sunday.    Luke  18,  31 — 43.  —  The  Doubts  and  Offenses  of 

Human  Reason  concerning  the  Suffering  and  Death  of  the  Son  of  God  111 

First  Sunday  in  Lent.    Matt.  4,  1 — 11.  —  How  may  a  Christian  Stand  Firm 

in  Temptations  ? 118 

Second  Sunday  in  Lent.    Matt.  15,  21— 28.  — The  Folly  of  not  Believing  that 

You  are  in  Grace  unless  You  Feel  it 125 


VIII  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Third  Sunday  in  Lent.    Luke  11,  14— 28.  — Christ's  Discourse  on  Satan's 

Kingdom 131 

P'ourth  Sunday  in  Lent.    Jolin  G,  1 — 15.  —  Christ  quite  a  Different  Savior 

than  Most  Men  Desire 138 

Fifth  Sunday  in  Lent.    John  8,  46 — 59.  —  Wliy  is  it  that  so  Many  Cannot 

Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ? 145 

Palm  Sunday.    Rom.  1,  H!.  —  I  am  not  Ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ: 

for  it  is  the  Power  of  God  unto  Salvation  to  Every  One  that  Believeth     152 

Good  Friday.    Luke  23,  4(5 — 48.  — The  Death  of  Jesus 157 

Easter  Sunday.    Mark  16,  1 — 8.  —  The  Fact  and  the  Meaning  of  Christ's 

Resurrection 162 

Easter  Monday.    Luke  24,  13 — 35. — The  Risen  Lord  with  the  Disciples  of 

Emmaus 169 

First  Sunday  after  Easter.    John  20,  19 — 31. — Thomas'  Unbelief  concena- 

insT  Christ's  Resurrection 175 

Second  Sunday  after  Easter.  John  10,  11 — 16.  —  Christ  the  Good  Shepherd  182 
Third  Sunday  after  Easter.    John  16,  16 — 23.  —  The  Sorrow  and  the  Joy  of 

a  Christian 188 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Easter.  John  16,  5 — 15. — The  Holy  Ghost's  Reproval  194 
Fifth  Sunday  after  Easter.  John  16,  23 — 30.  —  How  to  Overcome  the  Im- 
pediments to  Prayer 200 

Ascension  Day.    Mark  16,  14 — 20.  —  Christ  Absent  and  yet  Present 206 

Sixth  Sunday  after  Easter.    John  15,  26 — 16,  4.  —  Persecution  for  Christ's 

Sake 212 

Pentecost  Sunday.    John  14,  23—31.  —The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 218 

Pentecost  Monday.    John  3,  16 — 21.  —  What  the  Love  of  God  in  Jesus 

Gives  to  us  and  Asks  of  us 225 


FIRST  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT. 


Matt.  21,  1—9. 

And  when  they  drew  nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  and  were  come  to  Bethphage, 
unto  the  mount  of  Olives,  then  sent  Jesus  two  disciples,  saying  unto  them.  Go 
into  the  village  over  against  you,  and  straightway  ye  shall  find  an  ass  tied,  and 
a  colt  with  her:  loose  them,  and  bring  them  unto  me.  And  if  any  man  say 
ought  unto  you,  ye  shall  say.  The  Lord  hath  need  of  them ;  and  straightway  he 
will  send  them.  And  this  was  done,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken 
by  the  prophet,  saying.  Tell  ye  the  daughter  of  Sion,  Behold,  thy  King  cometh 
unto  thee,  meek,  and  sitting  upon  an  ass,  and  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass.  And  the 
disciples  went,  and  did  as  Jesus  commanded  them,  and  brought  the  ass,  and 
the  colt,  and  put  on  them  their  clothes,  and  they  sat  him  thereon.  And  a  very 
great  multitude  spread  their  garments  in  the  way;  others  cut  down  branches 
from  the  trees,  and  strawed  them  in  the  way.  And  the  multitudes  that  went 
before,  and  that  followed,  cried,  saying,  Hosanna  to  the  sou  of  David :  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  Hosanna  in  the  highest. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

About  three  hundred  years  before  the  event  occurred  which 
is  recorded  in  our  Gospel  —  Christ  entering  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
— there  was  an  occurrence  of  a  similar  nature  at  the  gates  of  that 
city.  A  great  king,  in  command  of  a  formidable  army  and  sur- 
rounded with  military  splendor,  halted  his  fiery  steed  before  the 
walls  and  demanded  of  the  sentinels  that  were  stationed  in  the 
turrets  an  unconditional  surrender.  There  was  consternation 
among  the  inhabitants.  While  the  king  was  making  preparations 
to  besiege  the  city  of  the  Jews,  the  highpriest  hurriedly  called 
together  the  priests,  and  had  them  put  on  their  white  robes,  and 
quickly  escorted  them  to  the  gate  where  the  king  was  issuing  his 
orders  for  the  assault.  The  gate  was  opened,  and  the  priests 
reverently  bowed  before  the  great  king,  and  he  was  informed  by 
the  highpriest  that  the  inhabitants  would  not  offer  resistance,  but 
that  they  surrendered  the  city  to  him  and  his  army.  All  they 
asked  of  him  was  that  he  should  show  clemency  and  consider  the 
Jews  his  loyal  subjects.     That  king  was  Alexander  the  Great. 


£  FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT. 

What  a  difference  between  that  great  monarch  coming  to  the 
holy  city  in  military  attire,  followed  by  grim  warriors,  and  Jesus 
coming  meek  and  lowly,  surrounded  by  the  joyful  throng  of  his 
followers  shouting  as  they  moved  along,  "Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David:  Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord; 
Hosanna  in  the  highest ! ' '  Not  a  welcome  guest  was  Alexander 
the  Great,  though  it  is  said  that  he  kindly  treated  the  Jews  and 
even  condescended  to  offer  sacrifice  in  the  temple  according  to 
Jewish  rites.  The  Jews  had  just  cause  to  fear  the  Macedonian 
king  who  on  his  conquering  tour  to  the  East  laid  waste  the  land, 
and  burned  the  cities,  and  either  slew  or  took  captive  and  then 
sold  as  slaves  all  who  dared  to  oppose  him.  But  what  cause  did 
the  Jews  have  to  fear  Jesus  with  whom  the  prophecy  of  Zechariah 
was  being  fulfilled:  "Tell  ye  the  daughter  of  Sion,  Behold,  thy 
king  cometh  unto  thee,  meek,  and  sitting  upon  an  ass,  and  a  colt 
the  foal  of  an  ass?"  Gladly  could  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem welcome  that  king  in  their  midst. 

And  now,  my  hearers,  that  King  comes  to  this  day.  He 
comes  invisibly  in  His  word  and  in  His  holy  sacraments.  Every 
land,  every  city,  every  hamlet,  every  home  where  the  gospel  has 
found  a  place,  is  Jerusalem;  and  there  is  the  daughter  of  Sion, 
and  the  promise  given  to  her  is  being  fulfilled:  "Behold,  thy 
King  cometh  unto  thee."  And  since  among  us  we  have  the  Word 
of  God  taught  in  its  purity  and  the  sacraments  administered  ac- 
cording to  the  Lord's  institution,  that  King  is  our  King  also ;  and 
He  continually  comes  to  us  also  in  His  word  and  sacraments. 
Hear  me,  therefore,  proclaim  to  all  of  you  this  day  the  joyful 
message  of  Advent, 

"BEHOLD,  THY  KING  COMETH  UNTO  THEE!" 
And  we  shall  consider, 

I.    Wliat  manner  of  King  cometh  unto  us, 
H.    What  iff  the  purpose  of  His  coming. 

L 

What  comfort  for  us  to  know  that  our  King  cometh  unto  us : 
Jesus  who  came  to  Jerusalem.  He  has  not  forsaken  us.  Thouf^h 
He  does  withhold  from  us  His  visible  presence,  yet  He  is  with  us 
invisibly  and  enters  our  homes  and  our  liearts  !     What  comfort 


FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT.  3 

for  us  to  know  that  our  King  does  visit  us  on  this  earth,  though 
He  ascended  into  heaven  and  sits  on  the  right  hand  of  God  the 
Father  Ahiiighty  !  And  why  is  that  so  comforting?  Because 
our  King  is  the  King  of  kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords.  He  is  more 
than  Alexander  the  Great  and  all  the  powerful  rulers  on  earth. 
He  is  a  Kingr  under  whose  rule  and  guidance  we  shall  neither  fear 
nor  want.  For  how  does  our  Gospel  describe  this  King?  What 
manner  of  King  cometh  unto  us  ?  He  is  an  omniscient  King  who 
knows  even  the  most  secret  thoughts  in  the  hearts  of  men ;  He  is 
an  almighty  King  who  can  accomplish  all  He  desires  and  with 
whom  nothing  is  impossible ;  He  is  a  meek  King  whose  heart  is 
full  of  kindness  and  tender  mercies. 

He  is,  first  of  all,  an  omniscient  King.  We  read,  ^'■And 
when  they  drew  nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  and  were  come  to  Beth- 
phage,  unto  the  mount  of  Olives,  then  sent  Jesus  two  disciples, 
saying  unto  them,  Go  into  the  village  over  against  you,  and 
straightway  ye  shall  find  an  ass  tied,  and  a  colt  with  her:  loose 
them  and  bring  them  unto  me.''  We  must  know  that  the  Lord 
had  not  been  in  the  village  where  the  beasts  of  burden  were  tied. 
He  had  not  sent  some  one  ahead  to  procure  those  animals  and  tie 
them  there  for  His  disciples  to  come  and  get  them  for  Him. 
No ;  He  came  from  the  opposite  direction,  from  Galilee,  by  the 
way  of  Jericho  and  Bethany.  And  yet  He  knew,  as  though 
Himself  He  had  been  there,  that  those  animals  were  in  waiting 
for  Him.  Now,  how  is  that  to  be  explained?  There  is  but  one 
explanation,  and  that  is  to  concede  His  omniscience.  O  what 
comfort  to  be  derived  therefrom  !  Behold,  thv  King  cometh  unto 
thee,  an  omniscient  King !  He  knows  everything  and  all,  the 
past  and  the  future.  Nothing  is  hidden  before  Him.  He  knows 
all  our  cares  and  troubles.  Men  may  make  light  of  our  tribula- 
tions, while  we  are  suffering  to  such  an  extent  as  almost  to  make 
us  feel  as  though  we  could  not  bear  our  burden  any  longer ;  the 
Lord,  our  King,  does  not  undervalue  our  agonies  and  our  distress. 
He  knows  our  difiiculties  and  fully  understands  our  groaning 
under  those  heavy  burdens.  He  knows  even  the  very  thoughts 
in  the  hearts  of  men,  and,  if  there  are  enemies  plotting  against 
us  secretly.  He  knows  all  their  designs;  and  He  even  knew  them 
before  they  conceived  such  thoughts  of  wickedness.  He  is  an 
omniscient  King. 


4  FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    AUVEXT. 

And,  at  the  same  time,  an  almighty  King,  We  read,  ^^And 
if  any  man  say  oucjht  unto  you,  ye  shall  say.  The  Lord  hatli 
need  of  them;  and  straightioay  he  icill  send  them.''''  And  again 
we  read,  '■'■Tlie  disciples  ivent,  and  did  as  Jesus  commanded  them, 
and  brought  the  ass,  and  the  colt.''  In  the  gospel  according  to 
St,  Luke  we  find  an  account  of  this  same  occurrence,  and  there 
we  are  told,  "And  as  they  were  loosing  the  colt,  the  owners 
thereof  said  unto  them.  Why  loose  ye  the  colt?  And  they  said, 
The  Lord  hath  need  of  him,"  How  wonderful  !  The  Lord  would 
make  use  of  a  colt.  He  does  not  purchase  the  animal.  He  bor- 
rows it  from  a  man  who  is  apparently  a  perfect  stranger  to  Him, 
He  does  not  even  ask  for  it,  but  directs  His  disciples  to  get  it 
and  moves  the  owner's  heart  not  to  interfere,  but  to  let  the  dis- 
ciples take  the  animal  to  their  Master,  He  influences  that  man's 
will  from  afar  off  and  makes  him  do  exactly  what  He  wants  Him 
to  do.  Now,  how  is  this  to  be  explained?  There  is  but  one  ex- 
planation, and  that  is  to  concede  His  omnipotence,  O  what  com- 
fort to  be  derived  therefrom  !  Behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto 
thee,  an  almighty  King,  a  King  who  is  so  powerful  as  even  to 
rule  the  hearts  of  men  and  to  make  them  perform  and  do  His 
will !  Art  thou  in  want  and  bodily  needs  ?  Art  thou  tempted 
to  say,  "What  shall  we  eat?  what  shall  we  drink?  wherewithal 
shall  we  be  clothed?"  Behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee  !  He 
can  furnish  thee  with  the  necessaries  of  life.  Heaven  and  earth 
belong  to  Him,  His  resources  will  never  give  out.  He  is  able 
to  procure  for  you  in  some  way  all  that  you  need.  Art  thou  in 
ill  health  and  suffering,  coping  with  diseases  that  baflle  medical 
skill?  He  is  the  Lord,  thy  Healer,  He  can  give  thee  health 
and  strength  and  make  all  thy  diseases  disappear.  Art  thou  in 
difficulties  or  perplexities  of  any  kind,  in  sorrow,  in  trials  and 
tribulations?  He  can  deliver  thee.  He  can  lead  thee  out  of  thy 
troubles  with  His  powerful  hand.  He  is  almighty.  With  Him 
nothing  is  impossible. 

But  the  most  comforting  point  of  our  gospel  is  this:  He  is 
also  a  meek  King,  We  read,  "^1//  this  was  done,  that  it  might 
he  fulfilled  whicJi  was  spoken  hy  t J le  prophet,  saying.  Tell  ye  the 
daughter  of  8ion,  Behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee,  meek,  and 
sitting  upon  an  ass,  and  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass."  Woe  unto 
us  if  that  omniscient  and  omnipotent  King  came  to  us  provokinl 


FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT.  0 

and  full  of  anger !  For  since  He  is  omniscient,  He  certainly 
knows  all  our  sins  and  manifold  transgressions ;  and  since  He  is 
almighty,  He  can  severely  punish  our  iniquities  and  pour  out 
upon  us  the  vials  of  His  wrath.  And  what  else  have  we  deserved 
with  our  sins  than  to  be  doomed  to  eternal  condemnation?  But 
no;  our  King  comes  unto  us  not  to  mete  out  justice  and  to  re- 
ward us  according  to  our  iniquities.  He  comes  meek,  in  loving- 
kindness.  No  harm  does  He  intend.  He  is  full  of  compassion. 
His  heart  is  filled  with  kindness  and  tender  mercies.  Art  thou 
troubled  on  account  of  thy  sins?  Does  thy  conscience  tell  thee 
thou  wert  too  great  a  sinner,  thy  sins  could  never  be  forgiven, 
thou  hadst  no  right  to  grace,  because  thou  didst  not  accept  the 
Lord's  grace  at  the  time  it  was  offered  unto  thee?  Behold,  thy 
King  cometh  unto  thee,  meek.  He  again  offers  unto  thee  His 
grace  and  assures  to  thee  the  full  forgiveness  of  all  thy  sins. 
Art  thou  afflicted  with  some  malady,  with  poverty,  with  want, 
with  distress,  with  sorrow  of  any  kind,  or  tribulation  of  any  de- 
scription? Behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee,  meek.  His  de- 
sire is  to  lighten  thy  burden  or  to  give  thee  strength  patiently  to 
bear  what  thou  must  bear  in  this  life  for  thine  own  good,  so  as 
not  to  be  deprived  of  the  happiness  of  a  future  world.  He  will 
allay  thy  sorrows,  comfort  thee  in  distress,  and  wipe  the  tears 
from  thine  eyes. 

Behold  then,  such  is  thy  King  who  cometh  unto  thee  in  His 
word  and  sacraments,  an  omniscient  King  before  whom  nothing 
is  concealed,  an  almighty  King  with  whom  nothing  is  impossible, 
a  meek  King  who  is  kindly  disposed  to  all,  even  the  greatest  of 
sinners. 

II. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  consider  the  purpose 
of  His  comino;. 

We  read,  ^^A)id  a  very  great  multitude  spread  their  garments 
in  the  way ;  others  cut  doum  branches  from  the  trees,  a)id  straived 
them  in  the  way.  And  the  Tnultitudes  that  went  before,  and  that 
folJoived,  cried,  saying,  Ilosanna  to  the  Son  of  David :  Blessed 
is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord;  Ilosanna  in  the 
highest!'"  What  a  grand  spectacle  !  What  a  joyous  gathering  ! 
The  Lord  is  coming  down  the  slope  from  mount  Olivet,  riding 


b  FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT, 

a  beast  of  burden  and  advancing  toward  the  city.  His  eyes  are 
fixed  on  Jerusalem  with  its  white  shining  walls,  enclosing  thou- 
sands of  dwellings  and  gardens,  and  on  that  magnificent  struc- 
ture, the  temple  of  Jehovah  with  its  glittering  pinnacles  flashing 
in  the  sun.  His  disciples  form  the  escort.  A  very  great  multi- 
tude gathers  at  the  gate  and  conducts  the  Lord  into  the  citv. 
The  crowd  swells  more  and  more  as  they  move  along.  Every- 
body is  happy.  Everybody  is  filled  with  joy.  Branches  are  cut 
down  from  the  trees  and  thrown  in  the  way.  Garments  are 
spread  out  on  the  ground  for  the  Lord  to  ride  over  them.  With 
rejoicing,  with  singing  and  shouting,  as  if  the  king  were  coming 
home  to  his  royal  palace  from  some  expedition,  the  procession 
passes  along  the  streets  up  to  the  temple,  where  even  the  children 
join  in  the  songs  of  praise  and  cry,  "Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David." 

Here,  my  friends,  we  find  depicted  the  true  purpose  of  the 
Lord's  coming  to  us  in  His  word  and  sacraments.  His  purpose 
is  not  merely  to  take  away  from  us  our  sorrows,  as  the  omniscient 
and  almighty  King.  No;  His  purpose  is  to  substitute  joy  for 
sorrow,  to  fill  our  hearts  with  gladness,  to  make  us  rejoice  over 
our  salvation.  At  that  time  He  came  to  Jerusalem  to  die  for  the 
sins  of  the  world.  Only  a  few  days  later  He  was  taken  before 
the  tribunal  of  Pontius  Pilate,  condemned  to  death,  nailed  to  the 
accursed  tree,  and  for  three  days  His  lifeless  corpse  remained  in 
the  tomb  and  was  then  raised  again  from  the  dead.  He  paid  the 
penalty  for  our  sins  and  the  ransom  price  for  our  souls.  He  per- 
formed the  great  work  of  the  redemption,  worked  out  the  for- 
giveness of  all  our  sins,  and  gained  for  each  and  every  one  of  us 
eternal  life.  And  now,  when  the  Lord,  our  heavenly  King, 
comes  to  us  in  His  word  and  sacraments.  He  offers,  gives  and 
imparts  to  us  these  sublime  treasures,  procured  with  the  high 
price  of  His  own  ])recious  blood.  Wherever  His  word  is,  there 
is  Christ  Himself;  and  the  purpose  of  His  coming  to  us  is  always 
to  bring  joy  and  happiness  to  our  hearts  and  to  fill  our  souls  with 
the  hope  of  eternal  life. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  never  come  to  us  in  vain!  May  we 
always  receive  Him  cheerfully,  as  did  the  disciples  and  the  mul- 
titudes in  our  Gospel,  receive  Him  in  true  faith,  and  prove  such 
faith  not  only  with  our  lips,  but  also  with  our  lives;    not  only 


SECOND  SUXDAV  IX  ADVENT.  7 

singing  His  praises,  but  also  doing  Him  service  and  leading  a 
godly  and  holy  life  in  uprightness  and  honesty.  Then  the  pur- 
pose of  His  coming  shall  be  accomplished.  We  shall  be  a  happy 
people  indeed.  Joy  shall  reign  supreme  in  our  hearts  and  homes, 
and  such  joy  as  can  never  be  compared  to  the  joys  and  pleasures 
of  this  world.  Anthems  of  praise  shall  fill  the  earth ;  and  when 
the  storm  of  life  is  past,  we  shall  join  the  angel  chorus  and  sing 
with  them,  "Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord; 
Hosanna  in  the  highest !"    Amen. 


SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT. 


Luke  21,  25—36. 

Aud  there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  stars;  and 
upon  the  eartli  distress  of  nations,  witli  j^erplexity;  the  sea  and  the  waves 
roaring;  men's  hearts  failing  them  for  fear,  and  for  looking  after  those  things 
whicli  are  coming  on  the  earth :  for  tlie  powers  of  lieaven  sliall  be  shal^en.  And 
then  shall  tliey  see  the  Sou  of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power  aud  great 
glory.  Aud  when  these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up 
your  heads;  for  your  redemption  draweth  uigh.  And  he  spake  to  them  a  par- 
able ;  Behold  the  fig  tree,  and  all  the  trees ;  when  they  now  shoot  forth,  ye  see 
and  know  of  your  own  selves  that  summer  is  now  nigh  at  hand.  So  likewise  ye, 
wlieu  ye  see  tliese  things  come  to  pass,  know  ye  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  nigh 
at  liand.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Tliis  generation  shall  not  pass  away,  till  all  be 
fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away :  1)ut  my  words  sliall  not  pass  away. 
And  take  heed  to  yourselves,  lest  at  auy  time  your  hearts  be  overcharged  with 
surfeiting,  and  drunkeuuess,  and  cares  of  this  life,  and  so  that  day  come  upon 
you  unawares.  For  as  a  snare  shall  it  come  on  all  them  that  dwell  ou  the  face 
of  the  whole  earth.  Watch  ye  therefore,  and  pray  always,  that  ye  may  be  ac- 
counted worthy  to  escape  all  these  things  that  shall  come  to  pass,  and  to  stand 
before  the  Sou  of  man. 

Beloved  in  Christ: 

Our  Gospel  treats  of  a  very  serious  matter,  of  the  last  day, 
or  the  day  of  judgment.  Jesus  tells  us  that  this  world  shall  not 
last  forever,  but  come  to  a  sudden,  abrupt  end;  and  that  this  end 
shall  be  attended  by  the  most  fearful  signs  in  the  planets  above 
us,  and  upon  the  earth,  and  among  the  nations.  He  says,  ^^And 
there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  stars; 
and  upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations,  loith  perplexity;  the  sea 

2 


8  SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT. 

and  the  waves  roaring;  men's  hearts  failing  them  for  fear,  and 
for  looking  after  those  things  which  are  coming  on  the  earth:  for 
the  poivers  of  heaven  shall  be  shaken.  And  then  shall  they  see  the 
Son  of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  loitJi  power  and  great  glory.'"  And 
still  more  distinctly  does  He  predict  the  end  when  He  says  in  plain 
language,  not  to  be  misunderstood,  '■'' Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away.''  Pass  away,  that  is,  be  utterly  destroyed,  annihilated,  be 
no  more. 

Now,  is  not  this  a  terrible  thing  to  think  of,  that  heaven  and 
earth  shall  pass  away,  pass  away  as  surely  as  they  were  called  into 
being,  and  that  this  catastrophe  may  come  at  any  time,  even  to- 
day? That,  as  St.  Peter  says,  "The  day  of  the  Lord  will  come 
as  a  thief  in  the  night ;  in  the  which  the  heavens  shall  pass  away 
with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat ; 
the  earth  also  and  the  works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned  up?" 
The  children  of  this  world  can  not  bear  to  hear  this.  It  is  dis- 
agreeable to  them.  It  is  too  fearful.  And  for  this  reason  they 
oppose  the  doctrine  of  the  day  of  judgment,  ridicule  it,  and  treat 
it  with  contempt.  Yet  this  doctrine  of  the  last  day  does  not  stand 
in  contradiction  to  human  reason.  For  even  human  reason  must 
admit  not  merely  the  possibility,  but  even  the  probability  that 
there  will  be  an  end  of  this  world.  "But  human  imagination 
finds  it  hard  to  picture  to  itself  this  tremendous  collapse,  this 
altogether  unparalleled  catastrophe,  after  the  passage  of  centuries 
or  ages  during  which  the  world  has  pursued  its  accustomed  course. 
The  imagination  can  not  conceive,  amid  the  well-ordered  facts  of 
our  daily  life,  so  sublime  and  terrific  an  interruption,  so  over- 
whelming a  conclusion  of  all  that  we  see  and  are  conversant  with." 
The  day  of  judgment,  as  described  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
must  be  viewed  by  all  the  children  of  this  world  with  fear  and 
trembling.  It  is  to  them  a  day  of  terror,  a  day  depriving  them 
at  once  of  all  their  joys  and  pleasures  and  plunging  them  into  the 
greatest  imaginal)le  misery.  But  what  does  Jesus  say  to  His  dis- 
ciples, to  the  true  Christians,  about  that  day?  Should  they  fear 
the  day  of  judgment?  No;  He  says,  ''Wlien  these  things  begin 
to  come  to  jmss,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads;  for  your 
redemption  draweth  nigh.""  It  is  not  a  day  of  terror,  but  a  day 
of  joy  for  all  the  true  followers 'of  Christ.  And  this  shall  be  the 
subject  of  our  discourse,  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 


SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT.  9 

THE  LAST  DAY  A  DAY  OF  JOY  FOR  ALL  TRUE  CHRISTIANS. 
Let  us  consider, 

I.   Wliy  all  true  Christians  look  forward  to  the  last  day  as  a 

day  of  joy  for  them,  and 
11.   What  they  must  do  so  as  not  to  be  deceived  in  their  joyful 
expectation. 

I. 

True  Christians  are  often  worried  about  the  last  day.  The 
thought  sometimes  troubles  them,  How  if  that  day  should  sud- 
denly come  upon  you?  How  would  you  feel,  if  you  should  have 
to  witness  those  terrible  signs  in  heaven -above  and  upon  earth 
below?  Would  not  your  heart  fail  you  for  fear?  And  when  the 
Supreme  Judge  appears  in  the  clouds,  can  you  face  Him?  Must 
you  not  hide  your  face  in  shame  because  you  have  sinned?  Does 
not  the  word  of  God  say,  "The  world  passeth  away,  and  the  lust 
thereof:  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abideth  for  ever?" 
How  then  can  you  expect  to  abide  forever  while  the  earth  is  pass- 
ing away?  Are  you  not  an  unprofitable  servant,  a  frivolous  trans- 
gressor, who  did  almost  everything  else,  but  not  the  will  of  God? 

These  thoughts  come  to  true  Christians,  I  say.  They  are  not 
entertained  by  godless  people.  These  do  not  believe  Christ's  pre- 
diction, and  when  the  thought  of  judgment  day  fastens  upon  their 
mind,  they  quickly  dismiss  that  thought,  thinking.  What  is  the 
use  of  worrying  over  so  uncertain  a  thing?  When,  therefore,  at 
times  you  feel  frightened  about  the  last  day,  let  it  be  because  you 
are  earnestly  concerned  about  your  eternal  welfare.  But  you 
must  get  beyond  such  fear  and  fright.  For  Jesus  says  to  all  His 
followers,  "  When  these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  then  look  up, 
and  lift  up  your  heads ;  for  your  redemption  draiveth  nigh . ' '  You 
must  look  forward  to  the  last  day  as  a  day  of  joy.  Why  ?  Because 
that  day  is  the  day  of  your  redemption,  as  Jesus  says,  the  day  in 
which  you  shall  be  redeemed  from  each  and  every  trouble,  from 
everything  that  is  hurtful  to  body  and  soul. 

In  the  first  place,  why  should  you  feel  frightened  when  those 
^ 'signs  occur  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  stars;  and 
when  the  sea  and  the  waves  are  roaring,  and  the  powers  of  heaven 
are  shaken?""  For  godless  peoj^le,  for  the  children  of  this  world, 
these  are  indeed  signs  foreboding  distress  and  misery,  so  that 


10  SECOND  SUNDAY  IX  ADVENT. 

'■'■their  hearts  iiinat  he  failiuff  them  for  fear,  and  for  Jookinr/  after 
those  tilings  icJiieli  are  coming  on  the  earth.'"  For  godless  people 
these  terrible  si^ns  are  the  tolling  of  the  bell  of  eternal  death,  the 
rail  of  the  angry  Judge  at  the  door  of  the  tottering  world.  But  for 
the  true  Christians  these  signs  are  the  melodious  chimes  of  the 
eternal  Sa))bat!i,  the  gentle  breezes  of  the  everlasting  spring. 
When  they  behold  these  signs,  they  must  picture  to  their  minds 
Jesus  standing  before  them  and  saying,  Fear  not,  my  beloved 
children,  I  am  here,  I  am  come  to  destro}'  the  prison  in  which 
you  are  being  held,  and  to  set  you  free.  The  Lord  illustrates 
this  by  a  beautiful  i)arable.  He  says,  '■^Behold  the  Jig  tree,  and 
all  the  trees;  tchen  tliey  noiv  shoot  forth,  ye  see  and  know  of  your 
own  selves  that  summer  is  noiv  nigh  at  hand.  So  likewise  ye,  tahen 
ye  see  these  things  come  to  pass,  know  ye  that  the  kingdom  of  God 
is  nir/h  at  hand.'"  Is  the  sprouting  of  the  trees  and  the  blooming 
of  the  flowers  in  spring  something  frightening?  Does  not  the  en- 
tire creation,  and  man  above  all,  rejoice  when  the  winter  season  is 
ended  and  beautiful  spring  is  ushered  in  amid  the  songs  of  birds 
and  the  blooming  of  the  flowers?     Behold  then,  thus  nmst  those 

sio-ns  which  are  so  terrible  for  the  children  of  this  world  be  viewed 

o 

by  the  true  Christians.  They  are  not  to  be  looked  upon  as  dismal 
forebodings,  ])ut  as  the  most  pleasing  indications  of  the  coming  of 
God's  kingdom,  which  is  peace,  joy,  happiness,  bliss  for  ever 
and  ever. 

Furthermore,  why  should  you  feel  frightened  when  you  be- 
hold "///p  Son  of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  in  jxncer  and  great 
rflory.'"  True,  those  who  have  not  been  waiting  for  the  Lord  and 
did  not  care  for  Him  shall  be  terrified  when  most  unexpectedly, 
like  a  flash  of  lightning  in  a  clear  sky,  the  Lord  appears  in  the 
clouds.  They  shall  })erceive  at  once  Him  whom  they  })ierced  by 
their  infidelity,  and  all  their  sins,  especially  tiieir  enmity  against 
Jesus  and  His  divine  word,  will  come  home  to  them,  and  fill  them 
with  unspeakable  fear,  so  that  in  utter  des})air  they  Mill  say  to 
the  mountains,  Cover  us,  and  to  the  hills,  Fall  on  us.  But  what 
cause  has  a  true  Christian  to  be  afraid  of  Jesus,  even  in  that  great 
moment  when  as  the  Judge  of  the  world  He  shall  descend  from 
heaven?  Jesus  is  his  Friend,  his  best  Friend,  his  truest  Friend. 
Ev(Mi  if  now  he  thinks  that  tlie  sight  of  Jesus  in  the  clouds  will 
frifi^hteii  him,   he  siiall  find  it  otherwise.      Even  the  weakest  be- 


8ECOND  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT.  11 

liever  who  puts  his  trust  in  Christ  shall  find  himself  transformed 
in  a  moment,  when  Christ  comes,  and  his  heart  filled  with  in- 
effable joy.  For  then  his  faith  shall  at  once  be  changed  into 
sight  and  all  those  weaknesses  by  which  faith  is  hampered  in  this 
world  shall  be  gone. 

And  also  this  is  true  that  the  destruction  of  this  visible  world 
shall  be  a  terrible  thing  for  those  that  love  the  world,  and  the 
things  of  this  world,  and  know  of  no  other  joy  than  earthly  joy 
and  earthly  pleasure.  For  Jesus  says,  ''■Heaven  and  earth  shall 
pass  away.''  But  what  does  He  add?  He  says,  '■'^But  my  words 
shall  not  pass  avjay.''  Why  does  Jesus  add  this?  He  obviously 
means  to  say,  Fear  not,  my  beloved  Christians;  let  the  visible 
world  pass  away,  my  words  shall  come  true.  Did  I  not  promise 
you  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  wherein  dwelleth  righteous- 
ness? If  then  you  believe  my  words,  you  shall  find  a  new  crea- 
tion coming  forth,  immediately  after  this  world  has  been  con- 
sumed by  fire;  and  triumphantly  j^ou  shall  enter  into  life  eternal. 

O,  my  friends,  what  a  joyful  day,  then,  must  the  last  day  of 
this  world  be  for  every  true  Christian  !  It  is  the  day  of  perfect 
redemption,  the  day  in  which  we  shall  be  made  rid  of  our  sins, 
our  frailties,  our  natural  depravity,  our  fears,  our  sobs,  our  tears, 
our  pains,  our  misfortunes,  our  anxieties,  and  all  our  crosses,  and 
tribulations.  It  is  the  day  in  which  the  gates  of  Paradise  shall 
be  opened  unto  us,  and  in  our  flesh  we  shall  behold  God,  and  in 
Him  be  ineffably  happy,  experiencing  those  things  which  eye 
hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  hearts 
of  men;  but  which  God  has  prepared  for  them  that  love  Him. 
O,  let  us  not  wish  for  that  day  to  be  long  coming  and  far  away, 
but  beseech  our  divine  Lord  to  come,  to  come  soon,  and  to  re- 
deem us  from  this  vain  world  by  His  glorious  advent  in  the  clouds. 

11. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  consider  what  we  must 
do,  so  as  not  to  be  deceived  in  our  joyful  anticipation. 

Saint  John  says  in  his  first  epistle,  "Little  children,  abide 
in  Him,  that,  when  He  shall  appear,  we  may  have  confidence, 
and  not  be  ashamed  before  Him  in  His  coming."  So  the  one 
and  only  thing  we  must  do,  not  to  be  deceived  in  our  joyful 
anticipation,  is  to  abide  with  Jesus,  that  is,  to  remain  with  Him 


12  SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT. 

in  true  faith,  not  to  leave  Him,  and  always  to  come  back  to  Him 
when  we  have  gone  astray. 

And  what  must  we  do  to  remain  with  Jesus?  He  says,  "  TaTce 
heed  to  yourselves,  lest  at  any  time  your  hearts  be  overcharged 
with  surfeiting,  and  drunkenness,  and  cares  of  this  life,  and  so 
that  day  come  upon  you  unaivares.  For  as  a  snare  shall  it  come 
on  all  them  that  dwell  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.'"  Surfeiting 
and  drunkenness  are  not  human,  they  are  worse  than  beastly. 
The  greediest  })east  knows  when  it  has  enough  and  will  stop  eat- 
ing and  drinking  when  the  craving  of  its  appetite  has  been  satis- 
tied.  Del)aucheries  and  drunken  carousals  are  unmanly  wrongs 
even  from  a  heathen's  moral  point  of  view,  how  much  the  more 
from  the  Christian's  moral  standpoint.  Does  not  God  say  dis- 
tinctly, "The  drunkards  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God?" 
A  drunkard  is  not  a  Christian,  no  matter  how  much  he  goes  to 
church  or  how  religiously  he  deports  himself  otherwise.  Must  he 
not  himself  admit  that  he  could  not  face  the  Lord  Jesus  in  one 
of  his  drunken  revelries?  Take  heed  then,  this  is  the  Lord's 
warning,  '■^take  heed,  lest  at  any  time  your  hearts  he  overcharged 
icith  surfeiting  and  drunkenness.^^  —  And  the  cares  of  this  life 
are  not  less  dantjerous  than  surfeiting-  and  drunkenness.  How 
shall  a  man  be  duly  prepared  to  meet  his  God  when  his  thoughts 
are  never  with  God,  when  he  never  sets  his  affection  on  things 
above,  when  he  never  seeks  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  right- 
eousness;  but  has  his  mind  fixed  on  this  world  and  nothing  but 
this  world,  when  the  craving  for  and  hankering  after  wealth, 
earthly  goods,  earthly  pleasures  and  enjoyments  is  the  one  sole 
aim  and  object  of  his  earthly  existence?  Here  is  where  many 
make  a  grave  mistake.  They  make  a  pretense  of  religion.  They 
run  along  with  the  true  followers  of  Christ.  They  do  as  if  they 
were  striving  for  heaven.  But  their  religion  is  nothing  more 
than  a  show  and  a  sham.  It  is  not  heaven  they  are  after,  but  the 
earth.  Their  hearts  are  overcharged  with  the  cares  of  life,  and 
this  they  show  by  their  neglect  to  come  up  to  the  duties  of  a 
Christian,  by  shunning  the  house  of  God  and  neglecting  prayer. 
O,  how  can  you  expect  Jesus  to  confess  you  before  His  Father 
in  heaven  when  suddenly  He  shall  come,  if  you  refuse  to  con- 
fess Him  before  men?  How  can  you  expect  to  be  received  into 
heaven,  if  your  heart  clings  to  this  world  and  you  do  not  sin- 


SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT.  13 

cerely  seek  the  kingdom  of  God?  Take  heed  then,  beware  of 
the  cares  of  this  life,  do  not  let  fhese  take  possession  of  your 
soul  and  lead  you  away  from  Jesus,  and  on  the  last  day  you  shall 
not  be  deceived  in  the  joyful  anticipation  of  true  Christians. 

Finally  Jesus  says,  "  Watch  ye  therefore,  and  pray  always, 
that  ye  may  be  accounted  tvorthy  to  escape  all  these  things  that 
shall  come  to  pass,  and  to  stand  before  the  Son  of  man."  Behold 
then,  if  you  would  not  be  deceived  in  your  joyful  anticipation 
on  the  last  day,  if  you  would  remain  in  the  faith  and  be  duly 
prepared  to  meet  Christ  when  He  comes  to  judge  the  quick  and 
the  dead,  you  must  also  watch  and  pray.  We  must  watch  our 
sinful  heart,  which  is  always  prone  to  evil,  watch  our  thoughts, 
which  easily  become  vain,  watch  our  words  that  our  lips  speak 
no  guile,  watch  our  walk  and  conversation  that  we  always  re- 
main in  the  path  of  true  Christians  and  that  we  take  as  our  rule 
and  o;uide  the  word  of  God,  watch  all  the  foes  of  our  eternal 
salvation,  the  devil,  the  world  and  our  own  flesh,  that  they 
may  not  lead  us  into  misbelief,  despair,  and  other  great  shame 
and  vice. 

And  to  watchfulness  we  must  add  prayer.  For  "with  might 
of  ours  can  nought  be  done."  All  that  we  do  is  utt-^rly  useless 
and  will  accomplish  nothing.  God  must  do  everything  and  all. 
Therefore  we  must  pray  without  ceasing  and  call  upon  God,  say- 
ing, Lord,  I  admit  that  I  am  a  damnable  sinner,  not  worthy  to 
stand  before  Thee.  But  Thy  grace  is  from  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting upon  them  that  fear  Thee.  Thou  hast  given  me  Thine 
only  begotten  Son  and  He  has  atoned  for  all  my  sins  and  made 
me  acceptable  in  Thy  sight.  O,  keep  me  in  the  blessed  faith  of 
Thy  dear  Son.  Take  not  Thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me.  Let  me 
remain  Thy  dear  child,  and  endure  to  the  end,  and  receive  the 
crown  of  life. 

O,  blessed  is  he  who  thus  entrusts  himself  to  the  grace  and 
mercy  of  God  in  Jesus  the  Savior  !  Let  death  come,  or  let 
the  last  day  come,  he  shall  not  be  deceived,  he  shall  be  found 
w^orthy  to  stand  before  the  Son  of  man  and  enter  into  eternal 
glory.    Amen. 


14  THIRD    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT. 

THIRD  SUXDAY  IN  ADVENT. 


Matt.  11,  2—10. 
Now  when  Johu  had  heard  in  the  prison  the  works  of  Christ,  he  sent  two  of 
his  disciples,  and  said  unto  him,  Art  tliou  he  that  sliould  come,  or  do  we  look 
for  another?  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Go  and  shew  John  again  those 
things  which  ye  do  hear  and  see :  The  blind  receive  tlieir  sight,  and  the  lame 
walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  tlie  dead  are  raised  up,  and  the 
poor  have  the  gospel  i)reaclied  to  them.  And  l)Iessed  is  he,  whosoever  shall  not 
be  offended  in  me.  And  as  they  departed,  Jesus  began  to  say  unto  the  multitudes 
concerning  John,  Wliat  went  ye  out  into  tlie  wilderness  to  see?  A  reed  shaken 
with  the  wind?  But  what  went  ye  out  for  to  see?  A  man  clothed  in  soft  rai- 
ment? behold,  they  that  wear  soft  clothing  are  in  kings'  houses.  But  what  went 
ye  out  for  to  see?  A  prophet?  yea,  I  say  unto  you,  and  more  than  a  prophet. 
For  this  is  he,  of  whom  it  is  written.  Behold,  I  send  my  messenger  before  thy 
face,  which  shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee. 

Belovki)  Fkiexds  in  Christ: 

''Art  Thou  He  that  should  come,  or  do  we  look  for  another?'" 
That  is  the  question  which  John  the  Baptist  has  two  of  his  dis- 
ciples ask  Christ.  Tlie  purport  of  this  (question  was  to  ascertain 
whether  Jesus  was  the  promised  Messiah.  But  why  did  John  the 
Baptist  have  his  disciples  ask  Jesus  that  question?  Did  he  him- 
self doubt  whether  Jesus  is  the  Messiah?  Many  commentators 
offer  this  explanation.  They  say,  When  John  the  Baptist  was 
brooding  in  his  gloomy  prison  cell,  when  he  found  that  his  earthly 
career  was  drawing  to  a  close,  when  Jesus  did  not  come  to  his 
rescue,  his  faith  was  shaken,  he  began  to  doubt  whether  he  had 
not  made  the  greatest  mistake  of  his  life  when  at  the  river  Jordan 
he  testified  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  promised  Messiah  and 
pointed  at  Him  with  his  finger,  saying,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  But  such  a  thing 
is  hardly  credible  that  God's  appointed  fore-runner  of  the  Mes- 
siah should  so  utterly  fail  in  his  mission  as  to  doul)t  the  truth  of 
what  God  Ilijnself  had  told  him  to  say.  And  does  not  Christ  say 
in  our  gospel  that  John  the  Baptist  is  not  a  reed  shaken  w  itli  the 
wind?  What  does  that  mean  but  that  he  is  not  a  man  given  to 
doubts  and  wavering  opinions?  We  therefore  accept  Luther's  ex- 
planation. Luther  says,  "It  is  certain  that  John  has  Christ  asked 
for  the  sake  of  his  disciples."  Not  because  he  himself  doubted, 
hut  })ecause  his  disciples  doubted,  did  John  put  this  (luestioii  to 


THIRD  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT.  15 

Christ.  This  explanation  also  conforms  to  what  we  are  told  of 
John's  disciples  in  the  third  chapter  of  the  Gospel  according  to 
St.  John.  There  they  are  reported  as  coming  to  John  the  Baptist 
and  sajnng,  "Rabbi,  He  that  was  with  thee  beyond  Jordan,  to 
whom  thou  bearest  witness,  behold,  the  same  baptizeth,  and  all 
men  come  to  him."  They  did  not  seem  to  like  it  that  all  men 
went  to  Jesus.  They  had  heard  John  bearing  witness  of  Jesus, 
but  as  yet  did  not  have  the  confidence  in  Jesus  which  they  should 
have  had. 

To  this  day  there  are  people  who  either  do  not  at  all  believe 
in  Christ  Jesus  as  the  promised  Messiah,  or  doubt  whether  Jesus 
is  He  that  should  come.  The  first  class,  who  openly  reject  Christ, 
are  the  Jews  and  infidels.  The  Jews  are  to  this  day  expecting 
the  promised  Messiah  to  come,  and  the  infidels  discredit  the  clear- 
est Bible  statements  concerning  Christ.  The  second  class,  those 
who  doubt  whether  Jesus  Christ  is  the  promised  ^Messiah,  are  such 
as  claim  to  be  Christians,  but  are  not  made  divinely  certain  in  the 
faith.  They  do  not  openly  reject  Christ  as  do  the  Jews  and  in- 
fidels. They  hear  the  Gospel  like  the  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist. 
But  they  are  as  the  reed  shaken  with  the  wind.  When  any  sup- 
posed arguments  and  proofs  against  the  Gospel  are  placed  before 
them,  their  faith  is  shocked  and  they  begin  to  doubt.  Let  me 
explain  to  you  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THAT  JESUS  CHRIST  IS  TRULY  THE  MESSIAH  WHO  SHOULD  COME. 

I.  Because  His  person  exactly  answers  to  the  description  of 

the  promised  Messiah, 
II.  Because  His  deeds  exactly  correspond  to  the  deeds  the  Mes- 
siah tvas  to  perform, 
III.  Because  He  was  preceded  by  the  fore-runner  who  was  to 
go  before  the  Messiah. 

I. 

What  was  Jesus'  answer  when  John's  disciples  had  asked 
Him,  '■'-Art  Thou  He  that  shoidd  come,  or  do  ive  look  for  an- 
other?''' Does  He  say,  No,  I  am  not  He,  John  the  Baptist  ought 
not  to  have  sent  you  to  Me?  No  !  He  silently  admits  that  He  is 
the  promised  Messiah  and  says  to  these  two  men,  "6^0  and  shew 
John  again  those  things  which  ye  do  hear  and  see.'' 


16  THIRD    SUNDAY    IX    ADVENT. 

Jesus  Christ  is  truly  the  Messiah,  who  should  come,  and  that 
is  attested,  in  the  tirst  i)lace,  by  the  fact  that  His  person  exactly 
answers  to  the  description  of  the  promised  Messiah.  In  the  Old 
Testament  God  has  given  a  full  description  of  the  Messiah's  per- 
son, and  so  perfectly  does  that  description  correspond  with  Jesus' 
person,  that  nobody  can  look  for  another,  if  he  sincerely  accepts 
and  believes  the  clear  words  of  Scripture.  In  the  Old  Testament 
God  has  so  perfectly  portrayed  the  Messiah  that  everybody  should 
have  known  Him  when  He  came.  In  the  Old  Testament  God 
stated  the  time  when  the  Messiah  should  come,  the  place  where 
He  should  be  born,  and  the  family  and  })eople  from  whom  He 
was  to  descend.  And  who  is  it  that  answers  to  this  description 
exactly,  in  every  detail?  Nobody  in  this  world  excepting  Jesus 
Christ. 

As  to  the  Hine  when  the  Messiah  was  to  come,  had  not  Jacob, 
the  patriarch,  spoken  the  prophecy,  "The  sceptre  shall  not  depart 
from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  until  Shiloh 
come?"  And  had  not  the  sceptre  departed  from  Judah,  had  not 
the  Jews  ceased  to  be  an  independent  people,  had  not  the  Romans 
conquered  and  subdued  them  and  made  of  Judaea  a  Roman  prov- 
ince when  Jesus  came?  Furthermore,  had  not  Daniel  given  the 
prophecy;  "Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  Thy  people  and 
upon  Thy  holy  city  ...  to  anoint  the  Most  Holy?"  And  what 
did  Daniel  mean  to  say?  As  the  context  shows,  he  meant  to 
say  that  in  seventy  weeks,  not  of  days,  ])ut  of  years,  that  is,  in 
4it0  years,  counting  from  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple  after  the 
Babylonian  captivity,  the  Holy  One  in  Israel,  the  Messiah,  should 
appear.  And  what  do  we  read  in  the  books  of  history?  How  long 
after  the  reconstruction  of  the  temple  was  it  when  Jesus  came? 
It  was  about  490  years,  as  everybody  can  ascertain  for  himself. 

And  as  to  the  place  where  the  Messiah  was  to  be  born,  had 
not  Micah  prophesied,  "And  thou,  Bethlehem  in  the  land  of 
Judah,  art  not  the  least  among  the  princes  of  .Judah;  for  out 
of  thee  shall  come  a  Governor  that  shall  rule  my  people  Israel?" 
And  was  not  Jesus  born  in  Bethlehem  ?  But  there  were  two  vil- 
lages called  Bethlehem.  One  was  in  the  land  occupied  by  the 
tribe  of  Sebulon  and  the  other  in  Judah.  Now,  that  there  might 
not  be  a  mistake,  the  prophet  points  out  Bethlehem  in  the  land 
of  Judah;   an<l  was  not  Jesus  born  in  that  selfsame  Bethlehem? 


THIRD  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT.  17 

And,  finally,  as  to  the  family  and  people  from  whom  the 
Messiah  was  to  descend,  had  not  the  prophets  announced  that  the 
Messiah  should  descend  from  king  David?  Did  not  Isaiah,  for 
instance,  say,  "And  there  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem 
of  Jesse,  and  a  Branch  shall  grow  out  of  his  roots :  and  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  shall  rest  upon  Him?"  Now,  Jesse  was  king  David's 
father.  And  did  not  Jesus  Christ  descend  from  the  house  and 
lineage  of  David?  But  at  the  time  of  Christ  there  were  many 
others  that  descended  from  king  David,  and  to  avoid  mistakes 
God  added  another  prophecy  to  point  out  the  very  person  among 
those  descendants.  He  had  His  prophet  Isaiah  exclaim,  "Behold, 
a  virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  Son,  and  shall  call  Him  Im- 
manuel."  And  do  not  the  holy  evangelists  inform  us  that  Jesus 
was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary?  And  since  He  was  conceived  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  is  He  not  Immanuel, 
that  is,  God  and  man  in  one  person? 

We  see,  Christ's  person  exactly  answers  to  the  description  of 
the  promised  Messiah.     He  is  the  Messiah,  and  none  other. 

II. 

The  second  reason  upon  which  we  base  our  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  Messiah  who  is  to  come,  is,  because  His  deeds  ex- 
actly correspond  to  the  deeds  which  the  Messiah  was  to  perform. 

What  deeds  was  the  Messiah  to  perform  according  to  the 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament?  In  the  first  place,  He  was  to 
perform  the  greatest  miracles  which  the  earth  had  ever  seen.  In 
the  thirty-fifth  chapter  of  his  prophecies  Isaiah  says  of  the  Mes- 
siah and  of  His  time,  "Then  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened, 
and  the  ears  of  the  deaf  shall  be  unstopped.  Then  shall  the  lame 
man  leap  as  an  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  sing."  Jesus 
evidently  refers  to  this  very  prophecy  when  He  gives  answer  to 
John's  disciples,  saying,  "T/?e  blind  receive  their  sight,  and  the 
lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead 
are  raised  up.""  Jesus  means  to  say.  How  can  you  doubt  whether 
I  am  He  that  should  come  ?  Do  you  not  see  that  I  am  perform- 
ing exactly  those  deeds  which  the  Messiah  is  to  perform?  And 
to  this  day  Christians  can  challenge  the  world  to  show  them  a  man 
in  the  entire  history  of  the  world  who  so  perfectly  came  up  to  all 
the  requirements  of  the  promised  Messiah  as  did  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 


18  THIRD    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT. 

Let  unbelievers  search  the  liooks  of  history  and  point  out  a  man 
who  did  the  miracles  that  Christ  performed.  It  is  folly  to  dispute 
those  miracles.  They  are  recorded  not  only  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment; an  account  of  some  of  these  miracles  is  to  be  found  even 
in  contemporaneous  writings  of  the  enemies  of  Christianity.  But 
not  another  man  did  the  world  produce  who  in  his  own  name  and 
by  his  own  authority  healed  thousands  of  the  sick  by  moans  of 
his  simple  word  and  w'ill,  opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  restored 
unto  the  deaf  the  power  of  hearing,  gave  unto  the  dumb  the  power 
of  speach,  and  unto  the  lame  the  use  of  their  limbs,  and  even 
called  back  into  the  land  of  the  living  those  that  were  entombed. 
The  four  Gospels  of  the  New  Testament  are  almost  one  continual 
narrative  of  divine  miracles  wrought  by  Jesus  Christ,  and,  as 
St.  John  informs  us,  "These  are  written  that  ye  might  believe 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  ye 
might  have  life  through  His  name." 

According  to  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  the  Mes- 
siah was  to  perform  another  great  work.  He  was  to  proclaim  the 
Gospel,  the  glad  tidings  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  In  Isaiah, 
chapter  61,  we  read,  the  Messiah  Himself  being  the  speaker: 
"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me;  because  the  Lord  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek ;  He  hath  sent 
me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  cap- 
tives, and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound." 
Christ  evidently  refers  to  this  passage  of  the  Old  Testament  when 
He  adds,  "^;icZ  the  poor  have  the  Gospel  preached  to  them.''''  Christ 
means  to  say,  Do  you  not  hear  that  I  am  preaching  the  Gospel, 
the  glad  tidings,  which  the  Messiah  is  to  proclaim?  And  if  we 
examine  the  records  of  the  New  Testament,  we  find  that  flesus 
was  almost  constantly  surrounded  by  the  meek,  and  the  broken- 
hearted, and  distressed,  proclaiming  to  them  the  Gospel,  speak- 
ing words  of  eternal  life.  And  did  not  Christ  Himself  ])erform 
the  great  work  of  the  redemi)tion  which  the  Messiah  was  to  per- 
form and  upon  which  He  was  to  base  His  proclamation  of  liberty 
to  the  captives?  Read  the  22d  Psalm  and  the  r)3d  chai)ter  of  Isaiah, 
where  the  Messiah's  sufferinir,  death  and  resurrection  are  de- 
scribed,  and  compare  the  history  of  Jesus'  holy  passion  !  See 
how  these  prophecies  in  their  minutest  details  were  fulfilled  in 
Christ  Jesus  !     Nothing  is  missing.     Jesus'  deeds  exactly  corre- 


THIRD    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT.  19 

spond  to  the  deeds  which  the  Messiah  was  to  perform.  Christ 
therefore  says,  ^'Aiid  blessed  is  he,  ivhosoever  .shall  not  be  offended 
in  me.''  Blessed  is  he  that  is  not  offended  in  Christ's  lowliness 
and  humiUation  !  Blessed  is  he  that  receives  Christ  as  the  promised 
Messiah  who  should  come,  as  the  heavenly  Prophet  who  proclaimed 
to  us  lost  and  condemned  sinners  the  Gospel,  as  the  great  High- 
priest  who  upon  the  altar  of  the  cross  brought  the  great  sacrifice 
of  His  life  for  our  sins,  as  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  ! 

III. 

The  third  reason  upon  which  we  base  our  faith  in  Jesus  Christ 
as  the  promised  Messiah  is,  because  He  was  preceded  by  the  same 
fore-runner  who  was  to  go  before  the  Messiah. 

God  had  arranged  that  a  fore-runner  should  precede  the  Mes- 
siah, a  man  who  should  prepare  for  Him  the  way,  call  attention 
to  Him,  and  point  Him  out  to  the  people  as  the  promised  Messiah. 
Isaiah  speaks  of  that  fore-runner  when  he  says  in  the  40th  chapter, 
"The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness.  Prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our 
God."  And  Malachi,  the  last  of  the  prophets,  alludes  to  that 
fore-runner,  saying,  "Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he 
shall  prepare  the  way  before  me,  and  the  Lord  whom  ye  seek  shall 
suddenly  come  to  His  temple,  even  the  Messenger  of  the  Covenant 
whom  ye  delight  in;  behold,  He  shall  come,  saith  the  Lord  of 
hosts."  And  at  the  end  of  his  prophecies  the  same  prophet  says, 
"Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah,  the  prophet,  before  the  coming 
of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord." 

Did  not  such  a  fore-runner  as  the  one  described  by  the  prophets 
precede  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  Who  was  that  fore- 
runner? It  was  John  the  Baptist.  We,  therefore,  read  in  our 
Gospel,  '■'■And  as  they  departed,  Jesus  began  to  say  unto  the  vml- 
titudes  concerning  John,  What  went  ye  out  into  the  wilderness 
to  see?  A  reed  shaken  with  the  wind?  But  ivliat  ivent  ye  out 
for  to  see?  A  man  clothed  in  soft  raiment?  behold,  they  that 
wear  soft  clothing  are  in  kings'  houses.  But  what  went  ye  out 
for  to  see?  A  prophet?  yea,  I  say  unto  you,  and  more  than  a 
prophet.  For  this  is  He  of  vahom  it  is  written.  Behold,  I  send  my 
messenger  before  Thy  face,  ivhich  sJiall  preimre  Thy  ivay  before 
Thee."     After  the  departure  of  those  two  disciples  of  John  who 


20  THIRD    SUNDAY    IN    ADVENT. 

had  asked  Him  whether  He  was  the  promised  Messiah,  Jesus  ad- 
dresses the  people  concerning  John  and  tells  them,  You  must  not 
think  that  John  no  longer  takes  me  for  the  Messiah.  No;  he  is 
not  a  reed  shaken  with  the  wind.  He  does  not  revoke  his  testi- 
mony concerning  me.  Neither  must  you  think  that  John  would 
come  out  a  changed  man  in  speech  and  appearance  were  he  to  be 
pardoned  by  king  Herod  and  leave  the  prison.  No;  he  is  not  a 
man  in  soft  clothing  as  worn  by  those  who  are  in  kings'  houses. 
He  remains  the  same  preacher  of  repentance,  clad  in  a  robe  of 
camel's  hair.  Nor  must  you  think  that  John  is  but  a  common 
prophet.  He  is  more  than  a  prophet.  He  is  the  second  Elijah 
promised  to  come.  He  is  the  man  of  whom  the  prophet  wrote 
that  he  should  prepare  the  way  before  me.  He  is  the  Messiah's 
fore-runner. 

How,  then,  can  anyone  doubt  whether  Jesus  Christ  is  really 
the  promised  Messiah  ?  Did  not  the  promised  fore-runner  go  be- 
fore Him?  Did  not  John  the  Baptist  precede  Him  in  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elias  and  do  exactly  what  the  Messiah's  fore-runner 
Avas  to  do?  Did  he  not  prepare  before  Him  the  way,  declaring, 
"He  it  is,  who  coming  after  me  is  preferred  before  me,  whose 
shoe's  latchet  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose?"  Did  he  not  bear 
record  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God  ? 

Let  all  the  Jews  and  infidels  and  all  the  enemies  of  Christ  say 
what  they  may.  Their  arguments  against  Christ  are  illusions. 
Jesus  Christ  is  truly  the  Messiah  who  should  come.  As  we  have 
seen.  His  person  exactly  answers  to  the  description  of  the  Mes- 
siah given  in  the  Old  Testament,  His  deeds  exactly  correspond  to 
those  deeds  which  the  Messiah  was  to  perform,  and  He  was  pre- 
ceded by  the  fore-runner  who  was  to  go  before  the  ]Mcssiah.  Let 
us,  therefore,  lift  u\)  our  heads  in  trium})h  and  rejoice  in  our  faith 
whicli  is  so  well  founded  that  even  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it,  and  sing  praises  to  our  beloved  Savior  and  King, 
in  whom  all  the  i)romises  of  God  are  yea  and  amen  to  the  glory 
of  our  God.     Amen. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  IX  ADVENT.  21 

FOUETH  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT. 


John  1,  19—28. 
And  this  is  the  record  of  John,  when  the  Jews  sent  priests  and  Levites 
from  Jerusalem  to  ask  him,  Who  art  thou?  And  he  confessed,  aud  denied 
not;  but  confessed,  I  am  not  the  Christ.  Aud  they  asked  him,  What  then? 
Art  thou  Elias?  And  he  saith,  I  am  not.  Art  thou  that  prophet?  And  he 
answered.  No.  Then  said  they  unto  him.  Who  art  thou?  that  we  may  give 
an  answer  to  them  that  sent  us.  What  sayest  thou  of  thyself?  He  said,  I  am 
the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  Avilderness,  Make  straight  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
as  said  the  prophet  Esaias.  And  they  which  were  sent  were  of  the  Pharisees. 
And  they  asked  him,  and  said  unto  him,  Why  baptizest  thou  then,  if  thou  be 
not  that  Christ,  nor  Elias,  neither  that  prophet?  John  answered  tliem,  saying, 
I  baptize  with  water :  but  there  standeth  one  among  you,  whom  ye  know  not ; 
he  it  is,  who  coming  after  me  is  preferred  before  me,  whose  shoe's  latchet  I  am 
not  worthy  to  unloose.  These  things  were  done  in  Bethabara  beyond  Jordan, 
where  John  was  baptizing. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

In  those  days  when  John  the  Baptist  preached  in  the  wilder- 
ness, the  longing  and  waiting  for  the  promised  Messiah  had 
reached  its  highest  pitch  in  Israel.  The  time  was  fulfilled,  the 
seventy  weeks  of  Daniel  were  accomplished,  Judah  had  lost  its 
sceptre.  Now  the  Messiah  had  to  be  expected.  When,  there- 
fore, John  arose  and  deported  himself  like  an  ancient  prophet, 
living  the  life  of  a  hermit  in  the  wilderness,  clothed  in  camel's 
hair,  feeding  on  locusts  and  wild  honey,  and  preaching  with  great 
power  that  the  Kingdom  of  heaven  was  nigh  at  hand,  the  whole 
country  round  about  was  wild  with  excitement.  We  are  told 
that  Jerusalem,  and  all  Judaea,  and  all  the  region  round  about 
Jordan  went  out  to  him.  The  people  heard  his  thundering  ser- 
mons, bidding  them  to  repent  of  their  sins.  They  were  baptized 
and  confessed  their  wrongs.  And  not  only  did  they  regard  John 
as  a  great  prophet,  but  day  by  day  the  conviction  grew  that  he 
must  be  the  very  Christ  himself,  the  Messiah  for  whom  they  had 
been  waiting  so  long. 

Even  the  Sanhedrim  in  Jerusalem  became  alarmed.  The 
Sanhedrim,  composed  of  seventy-one  men,  was  the  ecclesiastical 
court.  Upon  these  men  devolved  the  duty  to  settle  all  religious 
questions  that  disturbed  the  public  mind.  So  they  sent  to  John 
a  delegation  consisting  of  priests  and  Levites,  highly  respected 
men  belonging  to  the  order  of  the  Pharisees,  to  ask  him  formally 
whether  he  himself  laid  claim  to  being  the  promised  Messiah. 


22  FOURTH  SUNDAY  IX  ADVENT. 

This  delegation  faithfully  i)erformed  its  mission  and  received  a 
straight-forward  answer  from  John.  John  disclaimed  all  honor. 
'•''He  confeKfied,  lam  not  the  Christ.''  And  when  '•''they  asked 
him.  What  then?  art  thou  EUati?  he  saith,  I  am  not.  Art  thou 
that  jrrophet?  he  ansioered,  iVo."  And  when  they  pressed  him  to 
tell  them  who  he  was,  that  they  might  give  answer  to  them  that 
sent  them,  and  to  state  why  he  was  baptizing,  though  he  is  neither 
the  Christ,  nor  Elias,  nor  that  prophet,  he  made  a  noble  confession 
concerning  Jesus,  a  model  confession,  to  be  imitated  by  every 
Christian.  Accordingly,  let  us  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy 
S})irit, 

THE  CHRISTIAN'S  CONFESSION  CONCERNING  JESUS, 
and  see, 

I.  What  a  Christian  must  confess  concerning  Jesus,  and 
II.    /;/  what  manner  this  confession  is  to  be  made. 

I. 

By  his  example  John  the  Baptist  plainly  teaches  what  Chris- 
tians nmst  confess  concerning  Jesus.  AVhen  pressed  to  make  a 
confession  concerning  the  Christ,  what  did  he  say  ?  He  referred 
to  Jesus  and  said,  "//e  it  is,  who  coming  after  me  is  i^referred 
before  me,  whose  shoe's  Jatchet  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose." 
"What  curious  language,  "coming  after  me  and  preferred  be- 
fore me  !"  For  the  latter  words  do  not  merely  mean  that  Jesus 
ranks  higher  than  John,  but  that  He  was,  that  He  existed  be- 
fore him.  John  himself  renders  this  explanation  when  shortly 
afterwards  he  says,  "This  is  He  of  Avhom  I  said.  After  me 
Cometh  a  man  which  is  })referred  before  me:  for  He  was  be- 
fore me."  AVas  not  John  older  than  Jesus  and  therefore  before 
Jesus?  How  can  he  say  that  Jesus  existed  before  him?  John 
evidently  testitied  to  Christ's  divinity.  He  meant  to  say  that 
Jesus  is  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  the  Word  which  in  the  beginning 
was  with  God  and  by  whom  all  things  are  made.  But  John  con- 
fesses more  concerning  Jesus.  He  says,  "/«m  tJie  voice  of  one 
crying  in  the  icildcrness.  Make  straight  the  icay  of  the  Lord, 
as  said  the  prophet  Esaias.''  The  Lord  whose  way  should  l)e 
made  straight  and  of  whom  Esaias  s})eaks,  is  the  Messiah,  is 
Jesus.  What,  then,  does  John  confess  here  concerning  Jesus? 
He  confesses  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  Jehovah  who  was  to  come 
into  the  flesh,  the  Savior  of  llie  world.      Behold,  then,  the  noble 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT.  23 

confession  of  John  the  Baptist  concerning  Jesus.  He  confesses 
two  distinct  things  concerning  Jesus.  He  confesses  that  Jesus 
is  before  him,  that  He  is  true  God,  and  that  He  is  the  Jehovah 
to  come,  the  promised  Savior  and  DeUverer. 

The  very  same  two  things  must  Christians  confess  to  this 
day  concerning  Jesus.  They  must  make  a  true  confession  con- 
cerning the  person  and  the  office  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  main  reason  why  Christians  must  confess  Jesus  before 
men  is,  because  to  this  day  the  workl  knoweth  Him  not.  By  the 
Christian's  testimony  Christ  should  be  made  known  and  honored 
among  men.  Now,  it  is  a  historical  fact  that  there  was  a  man 
living  in  the  land  of  Judaea  almost  1900  years  ago,  whose  name 
was  Jesus.  No  sane  person  will  deny  that.  Neither  will  the 
children  of  this  world  deny  that  Jesus  was  the  founder  of  the 
Christian  religion.  Jesus  was  true  man.  His  humanity  is  un- 
disputed. But  this  is  what  the  world  will  not  believe  that  this 
despised  man  Jesus,  who  was  laid  in  the  manger,  who  had  not 
where  to  lay  His  head,  who  shamefully  died  on  the  cross,  should 
be  the  Lord  of  glory,  the  true  and  everlasting  God.  This  is  what 
the  children  of  this  world  will  not  believe,  that  Jesus  came  into 
this  world  to  redeem  us  from  sin  and  death  by  His  innocent 
suffering  and  painful  death  on  the  cross,  and  that  we  are  saved 
by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  not  in  any  other  way.  These  are 
the  two  principal  points  of  dispute  between  the  Christians  and 
the  children  of  this  world,  Christ's  divinity  and  His  redemption. 
And  here  we  must  confess  and  declare  openly  before  all  men 
that  Jesus  is  more  than  mortal  man,  more  than  an  angel  and 
archangel,  that  He  is  Jehovah,  the  Lord,  before  whom  John  the 
Baptist  made  straight  the  way,  the  eternal  One  who  was  pre- 
ferred before  all,  who  was  and  existed  before  any  one  was  born, 
before  whom  all  men  must  bow,  even  the  prophets,  even  he  who 
was  more  than  a  prophet,  John,  who  was  the  greatest  man  in  his 
day,  but  had  to  deem  himself  unworthy  to  perform  upon  Jesus 
the  Avork  of  a  slave  and  to  unloose  his  shoe's  latchet.  This  is 
the  principal  part  of  our  Christian  confession  before  the  world 
that  we  assert  and  defend  Christ's  divinity.  Then  we  must  also 
declare  the  truth  of  His  miracles,  of  His  resurrection  and  ascen- 
sion into  heaven,  His  enthronement  at  the  right  hand  of  God 
the  Father  Almighty,  and  His  coming  to  judge  the  quick  and 

3 


24  FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT. 

the  dead.  We  must  confess  our  faith  that  "there  is  no  salvation 
in  any  other,  that  there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given 
among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved,"  but  the  sweet  name 
of  Jesus.  We  must  confess  that  Jesus  receives  sinners,  that  He 
welcomes  all  who  come  to  Him,  that  His  grace  is  boundless  as 
the  sea  in  its  wide  expanse,  that  He  yearns  and  longs  to  save  all 
and  would  not  have  a  single  soul  eternally  lost.  We  must  con- 
fess our  own  experience  with  Jesus,  how  in  Him  we  found  for- 
giveness of  sins,  peace  with  God,  life  and  salvation,  and  thus 
bear  witness  unto  the  world  that  the  Christian  faith  is  not  a  de- 
lusion, but  a  real  thing  and  a  precious  thing,  a  thing  which  will 
make  man  truly  happy  both  in  this  life  and  in  the  world  to  come. 
O  my  friends,  nmst  we  not  say  that  perhaps  many  an  un- 
believer would  have  been  won  over  to  Christ,  if  those  Christians 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact  in  the  world  had  not  been  so  shy 
and  backward  in  confessing  Christ?  Must  we  not  say  that  many 
Christians  dare  not  open  their  mouths  to  confess  the  faith  when 
they  should  speak?  that  in  their  dealings  with  the  children  of 
this  world  they  never  seek  an  opportunity  to  plead  for  Christ 
and  for  his  cause?  aye,  that  sometimes  they  act  in  the  presence 
of  unbelievers  as  if  they  were  ashamed  of  Christ  and  of  the 
religion  which  they  profess?  O  let  us  all  remember  that  we 
must  confess  Jesus,  that  this  duty  devolves  upon  every  Chris- 
tian, and  that  Jesus  says,  "Whosoever  shall  confess  me  before 
men,  him  will  1  confess  also  before  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven.  But  whosoever  shall  deny  me  before  men,  him  will 
I  also  deny  before  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 

II. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  consider  in  what  man- 
ner this  confession  is  to  be  made. 

A  striking  feature  in  John's  record  is  his  deep  humility,  his 
remarkable  modesty.  He  claimed  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  mes- 
sage, a  voice  rather  than  a  person,  a  man  whose  highest  work  and 
glory  it  was  to  forget  his  miserable  self  in  the  surpassing  great- 
ness of  his  commission  from  heaven.  "T/e  said,  lam  (//c  ri,i<r  of 
one  crying  in  the  ivilderne.ss.''  And  when  they  asked  hiu)  and  said 
unto  him,  "  Why  haptizeat  thou  then,  if  thou  he  not  that  Christ, 
nor  EHas,  neither  that  prophet?    John  answered  them,  saying,  I 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT.  25 

baptize  with  ivater.'''  He  would  say,  I  am  not  the  Master,  but  the 
servant,  I  simply  baptize  with  water,  but  there  is  another  who 
gives  unto  this  sacrament  its  efficacy,  its  wonderful  power  to  work 
forgiveness  of  sins,  to  deliver  from  death  and  the  devil,  and 
to  give  eternal  salvation;  and  that  man  is  Jesus,  ^^whose  shoe^s 
latchet  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose.'''' 

Behold  then,  in  such  manner  must  we  also  confess  Jesus  be- 
fore men,  with  sincere  humility,  with  a  deep  conviction  of  our 
own  un worthiness.  It  is  not  the  true  Christian  spirit  to  think  a 
great  deal  of  yourself,  to  have  and  hold  a  high  opinion  of  your 
own  person,  to  compare  yourself  with  others,  and  then  to  find 
yourself  much  better,  and  to  boast  of  your  virtues  and  own  right- 
eousness. That  is  the  spirit  of  the  Pharisee  who  went  into  the 
temple  and  prayed,  saying,  "God,  I  thank  Thee,  that  I  am  not  as 
other  men  are,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or  even  as  this 
publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the  week,  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  pos- 
sess." That  is  the  spirit  of  the  hypocrite  who  seeks  to  extract  the 
mote  in  another's  eye  and  does  not  perceive  the  beam  in  his  own 
eye.  Christians  must  admit  always,  admit  also  before  the  children 
of  this  world,  while  confessing  Jesus,  that  they  are  damnable  sin- 
ners, that  they  sin  daily  and  deserve  nothing  but  punishment,  that 
in  themselves  they  are  not  any  better  than  the  rest  of  the  children 
of  men,  and  that,  if  God  should  deal  with  them  after  their  sins 
and  reward  them  according  to  their  iniquities,  they  would  be  eter- 
nally lost.  And  that  they  are  Christians,  that  they  have  been 
converted  to  Christ  Jesus,  that  they  are  walking  in  the  narrow 
way  that  leads  to  eternal  life,  that  they  stand  in  God's  grace  and 
favor,  that  they  have  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  and  are  made 
heirs  of  eternal  life,  this  they  must  not  credit  to  themselves,  as  if 
they  were  the  authors  of  their  own  salvation,  but  to  the  grace  and 
mercy  of  the  Almighty,  and  say,  "I  did  not  by  my  own  reason 
or  strength  come  to  Jesus,  but  the  Holy  Ghost  called  me  by  the 
Gospel,  enlightened  me  with  His  gifts,  sanctifies  and  keeps  me  in 
the  true  faith."  Not  in  an  overbearing  spirit,  but  in  sincere 
humility  must  a  Christian  confess  Jesus  before  men. 

Another  feature  in  John's  record  is  his  courage,  his  fearless- 
ness in  confessing  Christ.  The  delegation  sent  to  him  bv  the  San- 
hedrim  was  composed  of  priests  and  Levites.  They  were  the 
men  who  sat  in  Moses'  seat,  the  rightful  teachers  of  the  people. 


26  FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN  ADVENT. 

Yet  John  is  bold  enough  to  say  to  them,  '■'' There  stondeth  one 
among  y oil ^  ivJiom  ye  know  not.^^  These  words  implied  a  censure. 
They  should  have  known  Jesus,  known  that  He  is  the  Christ.  Did 
not  the  wise  men  come  to  Jerusalem  from  the  East  seeking  the 
new-born  King  of  the  Jews?  and  did  the}'  not  direct  these  wise 
men  to  Bethlehem?  Did  not  God  show  them  plainly  by  these 
wise  men  that  the  Messiah  was  come  ?  Did  not  old  Simeon  in  the 
temple  take  up  the  child  Jesus  in  his  arihs  and  say,  "Lord,  now 
lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  Thy  word: 
for  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation?"  And  did  they  not  con- 
verse with  Jesus  in  the  temple,  when  He  was  twelve  years  old, 
and  admire  His  understanding  and  His  answers?  Why  did  they 
not  watch  and  interest  themselves  in  this  wonderful  child?  John, 
therefore,  boldly  censures  them  for  their  negligence  and  confesses 
that  Jesus,  whom  they  do  not  know,  is  the  Christ,  let  them  say 
and  do  what  they  will  about  it. 

Behold  then,  in  such  manner  must  we  also  confess  Jesus  be- 
fore men,  with  boldness  and  undaunted  courage.  It  is  not  an  easy 
thing  to  confess  Jesus  in  our  days.  If  you  confess  Jesus,  you  are 
very  apt  to  be  persecuted.  You  may  be  injured  in  your  profes- 
sion, business  or  trade,  lose  your  customers  or  work.  You  may 
be  ridiculed  and  looked  down  upon  as  out  of  touch  with  the  prog- 
ress of  the  age.  You  may  be  laughed  to  scorn  and  sneered  at  as 
a  hypocrite  and  a  coward  when  you  refuse  to  walk  in  the  counsel 
of  the  ungodly,  and  to  stand  in  the  way  of  sinners,  and  to  sit  in 
the  seat  of  the  scornful,  and  say  that  your  delight  is  in  the  law  of 
the  Lord.     It  takes  courage  to  confess  Christ. 

Let  us  not  be  afraid  to  face  those  who  can  not  bear  to  hear 
the  name  of  Jesus  professed  before  them  as  the  Lord  and  Savior. 
Let  us  not  be  afraid  to  suffer  the  conseijuences  which  the  confes- 
sion of  that  blessed  name  may  bring  upon  us.  What  is  this  world 
to  us,  and  what  are  the  things  of  this  world  to  us?  The  world 
shall  pass  away  and  the  lust  thereof:  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of 
God  abideth  for  ever.  Let  us  fearlessly  confess  our  divine  Lord 
like  John  the  Baptist  did.  And  when  the  storm  of  life  is  passed 
and  our  confession  is  ended,  we  shall  find  in  our  beloved  Savior 
Jesus  an  Advocate  with  the  Father,  saying  to  Him,  Let  these  enter 
into  the  glory:  they  have  confessed  me  before  men  and  endured 
to  the  end;   they  shall  live  before  me  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 


GOSPEL    ON    CHRISTMAS    DAY.  27 

GOSPEL  ON  CHRISTMAS  DAY. 


Luke  2,  1— l-t. 
■  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  tliat  tliere  went  out  a  decree  from  Cae- 
sar Augustus,  that  all  the  world  should  be  taxed.  (And  this  taxing  was  first 
made  when  Cyrenius  was  governgr  of  Syria.)  And  all  went  to  be  taxed,  every 
one  into  his  own  city.  And  Joseph  also  went  up  from  Galilee,  out  of  the  city 
of  Nazareth,  into  Judaea,  unto  the  city  of  David,  which  is  called  Bethlehem ; 
(because  he  was  of  the  house  and  lineage  of  David:)  to  be  taxed  with  Mary  his 
espoused  wife,  being  great  with  child.  And  so  it  was,  that,  while  they  were 
there,  the  days  were  accomplished  that  she  should  be  delivered.  And  she  brought 
forth  her  first-born  son,  and  wrapped  him  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  laid  hira  in 
a  manger;  because  there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  inn.  And  there  were  in 
the  same  country  shepherds  abiding  in  the  field,  keeping  watch  over  their  flock 
by  night.  And,  lo,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shone  round  about  them :  and  they  were  sore  afraid.  And  the  angel  said 
unto  them,  Fear  not:  for,  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which 
shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  is  born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a 
Savior,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you ;  Ye  shall 
find  the  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a  manger.  And  suddenly 
there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  praising  God,  and 
saying,  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men. 

Beloved  Friends  in  the  new-born  Savior: 

'■'■Behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy.'"'  This  was 
the  angel's  introduction  as  he  delivered  his  great  message  from 
heaven  on  Christmas  day,  the  lirst  Christmas  that  dawned  upon 
the  world.  Christmas  was  intended  to  be  a  day  of  joy,  of  uni- 
versal joy.  Not  another  day  in  the  year  is  hailed  with  such  de- 
light by  both  young  and  old  as  Christmas  day.  Not  another  fes- 
tival of  the  Christian  Church  causes  so  much  gladness  as  does  this 
glorious  festival,  which,  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  have  again  been 
permitted  to  celebrate  to-day.  To-day  the  whole  world  round 
about  us  seems  turned  into  a  sea  of  gladness.  Faces  beaming 
with  joy  are  seen  everywhere.  jNIan  for  once  seems  to  forget  his 
own  precious  self  and  to  find  pleasure  in  making  others  happy. 
Tokens  of  love  are  exchano-ed  anion";  friends.  Parents  desire  to 
see  their  children  happier  on  this  day,  and  children  desire  to  see 
their  parents  joyful.  Brothers  and  sisters  under  the  Christmas 
tree  more  than  on  any  other  occasion  are  made  to  feel  that  they 
are  members  of  the  same  family.  Thus  has  Christmas  come  to  be 
a  day  of  joy,  a  day  of  prevailing  happiness,  a  day  in  which  almost 
everybody  feels  that  he  should  be  happy  and  make  others  happy. 


2^  GOSPEL    ON    CHRISTMAS    DAY. 

But  this  time-honored  custom  of  bestowinfj  and  receivino- 
gifts,  though  laudable  in  itself,  is  not  the  foundation  nor  every- 
where a  token,  of  that  joy  whereof  the  angel  speaks.  The  angel 
does  not  say,  I  bring  3'ou  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  for  henceforth 
this  day  shall  be  among  men  a  day  of  showing  love  and  kindness. 
No,  he  says,  ''Fo?'  unto  you  is  born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David 
a  Savior,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.''  The  true  reason  for  joy  on 
Christmas  day  is  to  be  sought  in  the  fact  that  a  Savior  was  born 
unto  us  this  day.  This  is  the  great  message  of  the  day.  Let  us 
consider  then,  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THE  ANGEL'S  MESSAGE:  UNTO  YOU  IS  BORN  THIS  DAY  A  SAVIOR. 

Ever}^  word  of  this  message  is  of  utmost  importance.  We 
shall,  therefore,  analyze  it  and  consider  its  four  component  parts, 
namely, 

I.  The  Savior,  II.  /*'  born,  III.  Unto  you,  and  IV.  This  day. 

I. 

"^  Savior,"  says  the  angel.  — Could  the  culprit  on  the  scaf- 
fold receive  better  news  than  to  be  informed  that  the  governor's 
messenger  has  arrived  with  a  pardon?  Could  the  shipwrecked 
man  who  is  about  to  sink  into  the  depths  of  the  sea  receive  better 
aid  than  to  ])e  grasped  hy  a  strong  hand  and  lifted  into  the  boat? 
Now,  we  are  all  as  the  culprit  and  the  drowning  man.  We  are 
sinners  and  as  such  we  are  lost  and  condemned.  By  the  fall  of 
Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden  of  P^den  the  wliole  human  family 
was  corrupted  with  the  filth  of  sin  and  made  odious  in  the  sight  of 
God,  who  is  a  consuming  fire  to  evil-doers.  Hell  and  damnation 
is  our  inevitable  doom  because  we  have  sinned.  Why  were  the 
shepherds  sore  afraid  when,  as  we  are  told,  ^Hhe  angel  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  them.,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round 
about  them?''  They  were  afraid  })ecause  they  were  sinners. 
Nothing  in  heaven  or  on  earth  could  frighten  man  if  he  were 
sinless.  But  now  we  have  a  Savior,  a  Savior  by  divine  assurance, 
a  Savior  to  deliver  us  from  everlasting  death.  O  my  fiiends, 
could  we  receive  better  news  than  that?  Do  we  value  the  bene- 
factor who  saves  our  life  and  rescues  us  from  temporal  death? 
But  here  is  the  Savior  from  greater  perils  than  all  the  dangers 
upon  earth,  the  Savior  from  hell.    O  how  we  should  rejoice,  how 


GK)SPEL    ON    CHRISTMAS    DAY.  29 

we  should  thank  our  God  for  that  Savior,  who  is  God  Himself, 
who  could  never  save  us  from  eternal  death  if  He  were  not  God. 
Or  do  you  doubt  that  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem  is  the  Savior 
that  came  down  from  heaven?  Look  into  our  Christmas  Gospel 
and  all  doubts  must  disappear.  We  read,  ''And  it  came  to  jjass 
in  those  days,  that  there  went  out  a  decree  from  Caesar  Augustus, 
that  all  the  ivorld  should  be  taxed.  And  this  taxing  was  first  made 
when  Cyrenius  was  governor  of  Syria.  And  all  went  to  he  taxed, 
every  one  into  his  own  city.  And  Joseph  also  ivent  upfro^n  Galilee, 
out  of  the  city  of  Nazareth,  into  Judaea,  unto  the  city  of  David, 
which  is  called  Bethlehem ;  because  he  was  of  the  house  and  lineage 
of  David:  to  be  taxed  with  Mary  his  espoused  wife,  being  great 
ivith  child.'''  O  what  a  wonderful  child!  For  the  sake  of  this 
child  the  whole  world  is  set  in  commotion.  God  puts  into  the 
heart  of  the  greatest  living  ruler,  Caesar  Augustus,  to  issue  a  de- 
cree of  taxation  which  affects  the  whole  world.  In  every  land 
under  the  Roman  rule  the  inhabitants  must  repair  to  the  city  or 
place  of  their  birth  to  be  taxed.  And  why  all  this?  That  Mary 
and  Joseph  should  go  to  Bethlehem  and  that  the  child  Jesus  should 
be  born  in  the  city  of  David.  Aye,  what  a  Avonderful  child  !  Not 
only  the  world,  even  the  heavens  are  set  in  commotion  for  the 
sake  of  this  child.  The  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  the 
shepherds  on  the  plains  of  Bethlehem  to  bring  them  the  good 
tidings  of  the  Savior's  birth;  and  ''suddenly  there  was  ivitJi  the 
angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  praising  God,  and  saying. 
Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward 
men.''  What  more  evidence  do  we  want  that  this  child  is  the 
Savior?  Could  God  do  more  than  to  set  heaven  and  earth  in  com- 
motion to  make  us  understand  the  importance  of  the  great  event 
in  the  holy  night? 

IL 

But  let  us  continue  and  look  at  the  next  word  in  the  angel's 
message.  He  saj's,  "Born,"  born  is  a  Savior,  and  the  following 
account  is  given  of  His  birth:  "And  so  it  was,  that,  while  they 
were  there,  the  days  were  accomjilished  that  she  should  be  delivered. 
And  she  brought  forth  her  first-born  Son,  and  ivrappted  Him  in 
swaddling  clothes,  and  laid  llim  in  a  7nanger ;  because  tltere  ivas 
no  room  for  them  in  the  inn."    The  Savior  of  the  world  Mas  })orn 


30  GOSPEL   ON   CHRISTMAS    DAY. 

in  extreme  poverty.  There  was  no  bed  or  cradle  for  Ilim ;  He 
was  laid  in  a  manger.  And  the  fact  that  He  was  laid  in  a  manger 
also  discloses  the  place  of  His  birth.  He  must  have  been  born 
in  a  stable,  where  mangers  are  kept  and  beasts  are  fed.  He  was 
born;  the  Savior  of  the  world  Avas  born  !  What  joy  and  iia})})!- 
ness  is  contained  for  us  in  that  little  word  !  Suppose  God  had 
come  down  from  heaven  in  His  glorious  majesty  to  deal  with  us 
fallen  creatures,  could  we  stand  before  Him?  No;  we  would 
have  to  cry  for  the  mountains  to  fall  upon  us,  and  for  the  hills 
to  cover  us.  But  now  God  is  born;  the  AVord  is  made  flesh; 
God  is  become  man;  God  has  taken  upon  Himself  our  human 
nature;  God  is  become  our  brother.  Could  there  be  a  irreater 
evidence  of  God's  love  to  man?  Could  God  show  more  i)laiidy 
that  He  desires  our  eternal  hap})iness  than  hy  giving  us  His  own 
Son,  in  our  own  likeness,  in  the  form  of  man,  in  all  respects  the 
same  as  we  with  the  exception  of  sin  ?  For  what  was  the  purpose 
of  all  this?  AYhy  did  God  become  man?  That  he  might  work 
out  that  righteousness  which  God  requires  of  man  and  which  no 
man  can  show  forth,  that  in  our  stead,  as  our  substitute,  He 
might  fulfill  the  commandments  and  atone  for  all  our  transgres- 
sions by  a  painful  suffering  and  bitter  death.  The  Babe  of  Beth- 
lehem is  our  Redeemer,  who  reconciled  us  to  God,  in  whom 
God  has  manifested  His  great  love  to  the  sinful  creature.  "God 
so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  i)erish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  No  better  illustration  could  be  given  of  this  great 
Word  of  God  than  the  birth  of  Jesus  in  Bethlehem. 

III. 

But  the  great  trouble  is  that  so  many  do  not  believe  in  Him, 
The  sinner  who  is  conscious  of  the  greatness  of  his  jruiit  will 
say,  There  is  surely  no  help  for  me.  Others  ma}'  rejoice  in  the 
Savior  and  joyfull}'  kneel  at  the  manger  of  the  heavenly  child. 
As  for  me,  I  have  no  right  there,  I  must  stay  awa}'.  lint  what 
does  the  angel  say  in  his  message?  He  says,  "  Unto  you  is  born 
this  day  a  Savior."  A\'li()m  does  he  mean?  He  was  addressiuir 
the  shepherds.  Did  he  mean  the  shepherds  alone?  Or,  since 
the  shepherds  were  mem})ers  of  God's  chosen  people,  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  did  he  mean  to  say  that  unto  the  Jews  alone  a 


GOSPEL    OX    CHRISTMAS    J)AY.  31 

Savior  was  born?  No,  my  friends,  the  angel  himself  explains 
these  two  little  words,  "unto  you,"  when  he  says,  "-Feav  not: 
for,  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  Joy,  which  sJtall  be 
to  cdl people.''  Unto  whom,  then,  is  the  Savior  born?  O  joyful 
message,  unto  all  people  !  Do  you  hear  it,  O  sinner?  Unto  all 
people,  that  is,  unto  all  that  ever  lived  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
from  the  first  man,  Adam,  .unto  the  last  man  that  shall  be  born 
before  the  coming  of  the  day  of  judgment,  unto  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles, Christians  and  non-Christians,  saints  and  sinners.  You  have 
a  claim  upon  this  child  and  if  you  were  ever  so  great  a  sinner. 
Let  your  sins  be  as  many  as  the  sands  on  the  sea-shore  and  as 
black  as  nio;ht,  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem  extends  also  to  you  His 
little  hands  and  bids  you  rejoice  in  the  full  forgiveness  of  your 
foul  deeds.  You  have  as  much  right  to  this  heavenly  child  as 
the  greatest  saint.  For  this  child  is  the  Son  of  man,  who  came 
to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.  He  is  the  Lamb  of 
God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world.  He  is  the  propi- 
tiation for  our  sins,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world.  And  if  you  had  done  ever  so  many  wrongs 
and  had  shown  yourself  ever  so  unworthy  of  God's  love,  come, 
let  not  the  greatness  or  the  multitude  of  your  sins  keep  you 
away;  come  and  say,  O  Thou  heavenly  Child,  I  can  hardly  be- 
lieve it,  but  it  is  true,  yes,  it  is  true  and  certain.  Thou  art  mine 
also,  my  brother,  my  God,  my  Savior,  for  thou  wast  born  also 
unto  me. 

IV. 

There  is  but  one  more  expression  in  the  angel's  message: 
''This  day,''  "this  day  is  born  unto  you  a  Savior."  What  does 
that  mean  "this  day?"  The  angel  obviously  meant  to  say  nothing 
more  than  that  now  was  the  hour  of  fulfillment  of  all  those  divine 
prophecies  concerning  the  coming  Savior  from  the  beginning  of 
the  world.  That  promised  Deliverer  did  not  come  .some  time  ago 
and  remain  unknown,  nor  was  He  to  be  expected  in  some  future 
day,  but  now,  this  very  day.  He  came.  To  convince  the  shep- 
herds the  angel  gave  them  a  special  sign.  He  said,  ''And  this 
shad  be  a  sign  imto  you;  Ye  shall  Jind  the  Babe  wrajiped  in 
swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a  manger."  This  was  indeed  a  sign 
bv  which  the  shepherds  could  not  be  misled.     That  a  new-born 


32  (JOSI'KL    ox    SECOND    CHRISTMAfS    DAY. 

infant  should  be  cradled  in  a  manger  was  a  most  extraordinary 
tliiiiL',  and  if  that  niirht  sonu'  other  child  was  born  in  Bethlehem 
it  was  surely  bedded  more  comfortably  than  Mary's  son. 

"This  day  is  born  unto  }()u  a  Savior."  It  is  this  day  alway 
for  those  who  believe  in  Him.  Tiie  moment  the  sinner  believes 
in  flesus,  the  Savior  is  his  and  all  the  blessings  of  the  Savior  are 
conferred  U2)on  him.  Melanchthon  was  once  asked  by  a  learned 
man  why  we  still  say,  "This  day  Christ  is  born,"  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  Jesus  was  born  so  many  hundreds  of  years  ago. 
.Melanchthon  answered,  "Are  you  not  in  need  of  a  Savior  this  day  ? 
Because  every  day  we  nuist  have  a  Savior  we  still  say,  This  day 
He  is  })orn." 

Let  this  day  then  be  for  you  the  day  of  Christ's  birth,  the 
day  in  whiih  Christ  is  born  anew  in  your  heart.  This  day,  when 
you  hear  His  voice,  harden  not  your  heart.  Let  this  day  be  unto 
you  a  day  of  rejoicing  in  the  Savior.  And  when  no  more  we  can 
.say  "This  day,"  there  will  be  an  endless  day,  a  day  of  glory,  of 
happiness  and  l)liss,  a  day  in  which  we  shall  unite  with  the  angels 
and  sing  glory  to  our  (Jod  and  Savior  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 


GOSPEL  ON  SECOND  CHRISTMAS  DAY. 


LcKK  2.  ir.— L'o. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  as  tlie  angels  were  gone  away  from  them  into  heaven, 
tlie  sheplierds  said  one  to  another,  Let  us  now  go  even  unto  Hetlilehem,  and  see 
this  thing  which  is  come  to  pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  known  unto  us. 
And  they  came  witli  haste,  and  found  Mary,  and  .Joseph,  and  the  babe  lying  in  a 
manger.  And  wiien  tiiey  liad  seen  it,  they  made  known  abroad  the  saying  whicli 
was  told  them  concerning  this  ciilld.  And  all  tliey  that  heard  It  wondered  at 
those  tilings  wiiicli  were  told  tliem  by  tlie  sheplierds.  Hut  Mary  kept  all  these 
things,  and  pondered  tliem  in  iier  heart.  And  tlie  slic])lierds  returned,  glorifying 
and  praising  (iod  for  all  tiie  things  that  they  had  lieard  and  seen,  as  it  was  told 
unto  tliein. 

Dkmm.v    HklonkI)   Fimknds: 

Shcjiherds  on  the  plains  of  Betldehem  were  the  first  to  be 
notified  that  the  Savior  is  born,  (iod  did  not  send  His  anjjel  to 
the  great  men  of  the  Jewish  nation,  to  the  scribes  and  chief  priests 
in  Jerusalrm,  to  Id  them  know  Ihal  now  the  time  was  fulfilled  and 


GOSPEL    ON    SECOND    CHRISTMAS    DAY.  33 

the  Savior  was  come.  No;  the  first  to  receive  the  good  tidings 
of  the  Savior's  birth  were  plain  shepherds  keeping  watcli  over 
their  flocks  by  night.  This  is  significant.  It  is  in  full  accordance 
with  what  St.  Paul  says  in  his  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  "For 
ve  see  your  calling,  brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men  after 
the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called:  but  God 
hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise." 
It  is  not  very  likely  that  the  great  men  of  Jerusalem,  which  was 
onh'  a  short  distance,  only  six  miles,  from  Bethlehem,  would  have 
received  the  angel's  message  with  such  an  humble  faith  as  did  the 
shepherds,  these  plain  and  unpretentious  men.  These  shepherds 
of  the  city  of  David  must  have  been  devout  Israelites,  waiting  for 
the  consolation  of  Israel,  believing  sincerely  in  the  promised  Mes- 
siah. At  the  end  of  our  Gospel  we  are  told  that  "^Ae  shepherds 
returned,  glorifying  and  praising  God  for  all  the  things  that  they 
had  heard  and  seen,  as  it  was  told  unto  them.'"  This  plainly  shows 
the  piety  of  these  men.  They  appreciated  what  God  had  revealed 
unto  them.  Their  hearts  were  filled  with  thanks  and  their  lips  with 
praise  when  they  returned  from  their  visit  to  the  village  and  went 
back  to  their  flocks  wdiich  they  had  left  on  the  plains.  And  the 
same  state  of  mind  they  displayed  when  the  angel  suddenly  ap- 
peared and  when  in  Bethlehem  they  beheld  the  Child  in  the 
manger.  The  most  prominent  characteristic  of  these  shepherds 
is  their  faith.  The  subject  of  our  discourse  shall  be,  with  the  aid 
of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THE  FAITH  OF  THE  SHEPHERDS. 

I.    The  nature  of  their  faith . 
II .    Th e  fruit  of  their  faith . 

I. 

We  read,  ''Aiid  it  came  to  pass,  as  the  angels  were  gone  away 
from  them  into  heaven,  the  shepherds  said  one  to  another.  Let  us 
now  go  even  unto  Bethlehem,  and  see  this  thing  which  is  come  to 
pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  hnoivn  unto  us.''  Note  well,  the 
shepherds  do  not  say,  Let  us  go  and  see  whether  this  be  true 
which  the  angel  of  the  Lord  hath  said.  They  do  not  speak  as  if 
in  the  least  they  doubted  the  angel's  statement.  They  are  fully 
persuaded,  they  are  sure  that  all  must  be  so.    They  believe  firmly 


34  GOSPEL    OX    ISECOXD    CHRISTMAS    DAY. 

and  steadfastly.  And  on  what  do  they  base  their  faith?  On  the 
word  alone.  The  angel  had  spoken  to  them.  The  angel  of  the 
Lord  had  brought  down  to  them  from  heaven  the  joyful  messao-e 
that  the  ISavior  is  born.  This  message  they  do  not  receive  as  com- 
ing from  the  angel,  but  as  coming  from  the  Lord  God,  as  they 
themselves  say,  "  The  Lord  hath  made  it  knoicu  unto  us.''  Their 
faith  rests  upon  the  foundation  of  the  word  of  God  alone  and  they 
are  made  so  sure  and  certain  about  these  things  because  thev  are 
fully  aware  that  God  Himself  has  told  them,  God  who  is  true,  and 
whose  word  is  absolutely  reliable. 

Behold,  then,  here  we  have  the  true  nature  of  faith.  True 
faith  is  not  a  thing  which  is  uncertain  in  itself.  If  3'ou  are  a  true 
believer  you  will  not  be  in  a  doubting,  wavering  state  of  mind, 
thinking  that  possibly  the  things  that  are  recorded  in  the  Bible 
might  be  true,  but  not  sure  and  certain  about  them.  No;  as 
Luther  says  in  his  preface  to  his  explanation  of  St.  Paul's  epistle 
to  the  Romans,  "Faith  is  a  living  and  solid  confidence  in  the  f^race 
and  mercy  of  God  and  is  so  certain  that  a  man  would  rather  die  a 
thousand  times  than  suffer  such  confidence  to  be  taken  awav  from 
him."  If  you  are  a  true  believer  you  will  base  your  faith  on  the 
word  of  God  alone,  on  the  word  which  is  written  in  the  Bible. 
You  will  believe  that  God  is  merciful  to  you,  a  lost  and  condemned 
sinner,  that  your  sins  are  all  forgiven,  and  that  you  have  been  par- 
doned for  the  sake  of  His  beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for 
your  sins  on  the  cross,  that  heaven  is  your  eternal  home,  and  that 
finally  you  will  be  received  into  the  celestial  mansions.  You  will 
believe  these  things,  not  because  any  man  has  told  you  or  because 
your  heart  desires  them,  but  because  God  says  so.  And  what  is 
more  truthful,  what  can  we  rely  upon  more  firmly,  what  is  more 
sure  and  certain  than  the  word  of  God?  Such  is  the  nature  of 
faith.     It  is  unwavering  reliance  in  the  word  of  God. 

But  we  learn  more  of  faith.  Behold  the  shepherds  !  At  first 
they  were  sore  afraid  when  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round 
al)out  them.  Being  sinners  the  glory  of  the  Lord  struck  terror  to 
their  hearts.  But  the  moment  they  received  the  angel's  message, 
the  moment  they  believed  the  word,  all  their  fear  vanished  like 
the  mist  before  the  sun,  and  they  rejoiced  in  what  the  Lord  had 
made  known  unto  them.  Joyfully  they  hastened  to  Bethlehem  to 
behold  the  rirw-born  Savior.      We  read:    -.!«(/  th<  >/  rautr  o-ith 


GOSPEL    OX    SKCON'I)    CHIUSTMAS    DAY.  85 

haste,  and  found  Mary,  and  JosepJi,  and  tJie  babe  lying  in  a 
manger.'''  They  came  with  haste.  Why  with  haste?  Were  they 
afraid  to  leave  their  flocks  and  were  they  in  a  hurry  to  return  as 
quickly  as  possible  to  their  folds  ?  No ;  they  were  overjoyed  to 
know  that  now,  at  last,  the  Savior  was  come  whom  Israel  had 
been  expecting  so  long.  They  had  been  longing  for  Him,  pray- 
ing for  Him,  who  should  redeem  Israel.  And  now  He  was  come. 
Their  most  fervent  desire  was  gratified.  The  state  of  their  mind 
was  like  that  of  Simeon  in  the  temple  when  he  took  the  child 
Jesus  up  in  his  arms  and  exclaimed  with  rapture,  "Lord,  now 
lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  Thy  word: 
for  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation."  The  child  in  the  manger 
was  Christ  the  Lord,  born  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Savior.  They 
knew  that  they  were  sinners,  coming  short  of  the  glory  of  God. 
But  tliey  also  knew  that  their  Redeemer  lived,  that  the  child  born 
at  Bethlehem  was  the  Savior  of  their  souls ;  and  in  Him  they  re- 
posed their  trust  and  confidence ;  in  Him  they  found  true  and 
enduring  comfort;  in  Him  they  rejoiced  as  in  the  God  of  their 
salvation.     Such  is  faith. 

There  is  not  a  happier  man  on  earth  than  a  true  Christian. 
Believing  in  Christ  his  Savior,  he,  and  he  only,  has  true  comfort. 
In  all  the  vicissitudes  of  life  in  this  vale  of  tears,  in  the  conscious- 
ness of  his  sinfulness,  in  view  of  the  righteous  wrath  of  God  as 
revealed  on  Sinai,  he  hastens  to  the  manger  of  Bethlehem  and 
with  the  shepherds  finds  comfort  and  celestial  joy  in  the  Son  of 
God  and  Mary's  son,  his  brother  and  kinsman  who  was  born  in 
the  city  of  David  a  Savior,  poor  that  we  should  be  made  rich,  de- 
spised and  rejected  of  men  that  we  might  be  received  into  grace 
and  glory,  the  Lord  our  righteousness.  Such  is  the  nature  of 
faith,  firm  reliance  in  the  word  of  our  salvation  and  trustful  con- 
fidence in  Him  who  is  set  forth  in  that  word  as  the  Savior  of  sin- 
ners, Christ  the  Lord. 

A.nd  such  faith  is  also  sure  to  bear  its  fruit . 

IL 

We  read  in  our  text:  *^And  vjhen  they  had  seen  it,  they 
made  known  abroad  the  saying  ivhicJi  was  told  them  concerning 
this  child.  And  all  they  that  heard  it  wondered  at  those  things 
which  ivere  told  them  by  the  shepherds.     But  Mary  kept  all  these 


36  (JOSPKL    ox    SECOND    fllKISTMAS    DAY. 

things,  and  pomhred  them  in  tier  heart.''  The  desire  of  the  shep- 
herds was  to  liave  others  share  their  happiness  and  so  rejoice  with 
them.  Tlu'ir  liearts  were  tilled  to  overflowing  and  they  could  not 
but  speak.  The  first  whom  they  told  of  the  angel's  appearance 
and  joyful  message,  were  Mary  and  Joseph;  for  of  Mary  we  are 
told  that  she  ''kept  all  these  things,  and  pondered  them  in  her 
heart.''  We  are,  doubtless,  indebted  to  Mary  for  the  entire 
account  of  the  Savior's  birth  which  she  communicated  to  Luke 
the  Evangelist,  Avho  recorded  it  in  his  Gospel.  And  when  the 
shepherds  had  told  Mary  and  Joseph  they  went  to  their  friends 
and  accjuaintances.  They  were  the  first  Christian  missionaries, 
the  tirst  to  make  known  the  Gospel,  the  good  tidings  that  the 
Savior  was  come.  Their  faith  would  not  let  them  rest ;  they 
had  to  go  forth  and  be  witnesses  of  all  that  they  themselves 
had  heard  and  seen. 

Behold,  then,  my  friends,  one  of  the  first  fruits  of  faith, 
love  of  the  neighbor,  a  desire  to  see  others  rejoicing  and  ha^jp}'. 
And  which  is  the  greatest  blessing  that  we  can  bestow  upon  our 
iK'iirhbor?  It  is  to  make  known  to  him  Jesus  his  Savior.  Jesus 
alone  can  make  him  truly  happy.  Jesus  alone  can  rid  him  of  the 
guilt  of  his  sin  and  lead  him  to  eternal  life.  Jesus  alone  can  turn 
his  griefs  and  sorrows  into  joy.  True  faith  will  induce  you  to 
attend  also  to  the  bodily  needs  of  your  neighbor,  to  feed  the 
hungred  and  thirsty,  clothe  the  naked,  give  shelter  to  the  home- 
less, visit  the  sick,  and  to  show  sympathy  to  all.  But  if  your 
faith  is  true  it  will  induce  you  to  seek,  above  all  thinjrs,  the  wel- 
fare  of  your  neighbor's  immortal  soul.  David  says,  "I  believe, 
therefore  have  I  spoken,"  and  so  every  Christian  must  say,  I 
believe,  therefore  I  speak;  I  believe,  therefore  I  bear  witness 
to  the  truth.  I  proclaim  the  great  things  which  God  hath  shown 
unto  me.  I  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord  to  those  who  still  dwell 
in  ignorance  and  in  the  shadow  of  death. 

And  now  let  us  note  the  closing  words  of  our  text.  ".\nd 
thf  sheph(  rds  returned,"  says  the  Evangelist.  Whither  did  they 
return?  'I'o  their  herds  and  daily  occupation.  They  had  found 
Christ  the  Lord,  and  to  serve  Ilim  in  true  faith  was  henceforth 
the  task  of  their  lives.  But  it  was  in  their  humble  walks  that 
they  sought  and  found  tlu'  ()i)i)ortunities  for  serving  the  King  of 
(ilory,  whose  praises  angels  and  archangels  had  voieed  to  their 


SUNDAY  AFTER  CHRISTMAS.  37 

wondering  ears,  and  in  whose  service  the  heavenly  host  find  in- 
effable bliss.  We  too  have  been,  in  the  spirit,  at  Bethlehem,  and 
have  heard  the  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  and  our  hearts  are  filled 
and  overflowing  with  the  gladness  of  another  world.  How,  then, 
are  we  to  manifest  our  thanks  and  magnify  the  praises  of  the 
Father  who  has  so  loved  us  that  He  gave  us  His  only  begotten 
Son,  and  of  the  Son  who  for  our  sakes  became  poor  that  we 
through  His  poverty  might  be  rich?  Let  us  follow  the  shep- 
herds' example,  and  return  to  our  various  occupations  with  hearts 
and  hands  ready  to  serve  Him  all  the  days  of  our  lives  in  true 
godliness,  until  the  Lord  will  send  his  holy  angel  and  call  us 
hence  from  all  our  earthly  toil  to  our  heavenly  home,  where  we, 
too,  shall  see  our  Savior,  not  at  Bethlehem,  the  city  of  David, 
but  in  Jerusalem  on  high,  the  city  of  our  God,  and  voice  forth 
His  perfect  praises  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 


SUNDAY  AFTER  CHRISTMAS. 


Luke  2,  33 — 40. 

And  Joseph  and  his  mother  marveled  at  those  things  which  were  spoken 
of  him.  And  Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  unto  Mary  his  mother.  Behold, 
this  child  is  set  for  the  fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel ;  and  for  a  sign 
which  shall  be  spoken  against;  (yea,  a  sword  shall  pierce  through  thy  own 
soul  also,)  that  the  thoughts  of  many  hearts  may  be  revealed.  And  there  was 
one  Anna,  a  prophetess,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  of  the  tribe  of  Aser :  she  was 
of  a  great  age,  and  had  lived  with  an  husband  seven  years  from  her  virginity;' 
and  she  was  a  widow  of  about  fourscore  and  four  years,  which  departed  not 
from  the  temple,  but  served  God  with  fastings  and  prayers  night  and  day.  And 
she  coming  in  that  instant  gave  thanks  likewise  unto  the  Lord,  and  spake  of 
him  to  all  them  that  looked  for  redemption  in  Jerusalem.  And  when  they  had 
performed  all  things  according  to  tiie  law  of  the  Lord,  they  returned  into  Gali- 
lee, to  their  oavu  city  Nazareth.  And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  iu 
spirit,  flUed  with  wisdom :   and  the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

This  is  the  la.st  Sunday  in  the  year,  and  our  Gospel  is  a  very 
suitable  text  for  the  occasion.  The  principal  characters  in  our 
Gospel,  aside  from  the  Lord  Jesus  who  is  always  the  center  of 
all,  are  an  old  man  and  an  old  woman,   both  far  advanced  in 


3J$  SUNDAY    AKTKi:    CIIUISTMAS. 

years,  liaving  arrived  at  a  ripe  old  age  and  reminding  us  of  life's 
eve  and  tin-  end  of  our  earthly  pilgrimage.  There  is  old  Simeon, 
who  had  taken  the  ehild  riesus  up  in  his  arms  and  had  said, 
"Lord,  now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  according 
to  Thy  word:  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation."  There 
is  the  aged  Anna,  who  was  a  regular  attendant  at  the  temple,  and 
was  full  of  rejoicing  when  she  beheld  the  heavenly  child  Jesus, 
and  spake  of  Ilim  to  all  them  that  looked  for  redemption  in 
Jerusali'in. 

These  old  Simeons  and  Annas  have  not  died  out.  There  is 
to  this  (lav  many  an  old  man,  bent  with  years,  his  eyes  dimmed 
and  his  feet  tottering,  but  his  tongue  filled  with  the  praise  of 
Him  who  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.  There 
is  to  this  day  many  a  venerable  mat  ion  in  silvery  hair,  having 
braved  the  storms  and  tempests  of  many  a  year,  but  her  soul's 
delight  is  to  visit  the  Lord's  temple;  and  with  the  Psalmist  she 
savs,  "Lord,  I  love  the  habitation  of  Thy  house,  and  the  place 
where  Thine  honor  dwelleth." 

O,  ])lessed  be  these  old  people  that  frequent  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  though  it  is  with  faltering  steps  they  must  approach  ! 
Blessed  be  these  old  people  that  do  not  depart  from  the  temple, 
do  not  keep  away  from  the  house  of  God,  unless  God  Himself 
l)i(ls  them  stay  at  home  !  Blessed  be  these  old  people  that  remain 
st«'adtast  in  the  faith  unto  the  end,  until  their  eyelids  close  in 
death  and  they  are  stretched  on  the  bier,  the  expression  of  Chris- 
tian joy  and  inward  contentedness  still  remaining  on  their  })allid 
features  and  silently  proclaiming  to  those  who  gaze  on  these  fea- 
tures, "I  have  fought  a  good  tight,  I  have  tinished  my  course, 
I  have  kejit  the  faith:  henceforth  there  is  laid  uj)  for  me  a  crown 
of  righteousness." 

Simeon  and  Anna,  both  far  advanced  in  years,  both  not  far 
from  the  grave,  and  with  them  —  what  a  contrast!  —  the  child 
.Icsus  who  had  just  entered  upon  life's  j^athway.  This  is  what 
our  (iospcl  presents  to  us  on  the  last  Suiuhu'  in  the  year.  Let  us 
in(|uiic  more  into  this  and  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy 
Spirit, 

W  HA  r  OUR  (iOSPEL  PROPOSKS  TO  US  FOR  THE  LAST  SUNDAY 
L\  THE  YEAR. 

i'wo  things,    I.   .1  f/i(('.sfi()n,     II.  ^[  Icfison. 


8UKDAY    AFTER    CHRISTMAS.  39 

I. 

Our  Gospel  proposes  to  us  for  the  last  Sunday  in  the  year, 
in  the  first  place,  a  question.  What  question?  Let  us  examine 
the  beginning  of  our  text,  and  we  shall  see.  We  read,  ^^And 
Joseph  and  His  mother  marveled  at  those  tJiings  ivJnch  ivere  spoken 
of  Him.  And  Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  unto  Mary  His 
mother.  Behold,  this  child  is  set  for  the  fall  and  rising  again  of 
many  in  Israel;  and  for  a  sign  which  shall  be  spoken  against; 
yea,  a  sword  shall  inerce  through  thy  own  soul  also,  that  the 
thoughts  of  many  hearts  may  be  revealed.''''  The  question  in- 
volved here  is  this:  What  did  you  make  of  the  child  Jesus  in 
the  year  now  drawing  to  its  close  ?  Was  He  set  for  your  fall  or 
for  your  rising  again?  Or,  in  other  words,  did  you  cling  to  the 
Rock  of  ages,  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  did  you  remain  in  the  faith, 
and  progress  in  the  faith,  and  thus  improve  in  your  Christian 
walk  and  conversation?  Or  did  you  begin  to  lose  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus,  to  drop  off,  to  leave  that  solid  Rock,  and  float  away 
upon  the  sea  of  this  world  and  drown  in  despair  or  in  the  pleasures 
of  this  life? 

My  friends,  there  are  only  two  ways,  a  narrow  and  a  broad 
way,  one  leading  to  life  eternal  and  the  other  to  eternal  dam- 
nation; and  there  are  only  two  relations  of  men  to  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Either  He  is  set  for  their  risino;  or  for  their  fall.  It  is 
not  God's  will  and  purpose  that  anyone  should  fall.  He  wants 
all  men  to  be  saved.  But  this  is  the  outcome:  Some  rise  at  this 
Rock,  and  some  fall.  At  this  Rock  the  whole  human  race  is 
split,  is  divided  into  two  parts.  The  one  part  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  and  are  saved  by  Him,  and  unto  these  He  is  set  for 
their  rising.  The  other  part  do  not  believe  on  Him,  are  offended 
in  Him,  reject  Him,  and  unto  these  He  is  set  for  their  fall. 
There  is  not  another  person  in  the  world  about  whom  there  is 
so  much  controversy  as  the  Lord  Jesus.  He  is  the  sign  spoken 
ao-ainst.  Some  are  for  Him,  some  against  Him.  The  message 
of  the  cross  is  unto  some  foolishness,  unto  others  it  is  the  power 
of  God.  The  Gospel  is  unto  some  a  savor  of  life  unto  life,  unto 
others  a  savor  of  death  unto  death.  And  I  beg  you  observe  that 
the  unfortunate  class  of  those  unto  whom  Christ  is  set  for  their 
fall  does  not  consist  of  such  only  as  are  His  declared  and  out- 
spoken enemies,  but  also  of  those  who  neither  openly  deny,  nor 
4 


40  SUNDAY    AFTEU    CHHIST.MAS. 

publicly  confess  the  Lord  Jesus.  For  what  does  the  Lord  say? 
lie  savs,  "He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me."  There  is  no 
neutrality  in  this  ciuestion.  Whosoever  does  not  publicly  deny 
Christ,  so  as  not  to  hurt  the  feelings  of  true  Christians,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  refuses  openly  to  confess  Christ  before  men,  so 
as  to  be  on  good  terms  with  the  Lord's  enemies  also,  is  by  no 
means  neutral;  no,  he  belongs  to  those  unto  whom  Christ  is  set 
for  their  fall. 

How  is  it  with  you,  then,  my  friend?  Was  Jesus  set  for 
your  fall  or  for  your  rising  in  the  past  year?  This  is  a  grave 
(lucstion,  so  much  the  more  because  with  such  as  have  been 
brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  and  are 
accustomed  to  the  preaching  of  God's  holy  Word,  the  fall  gen- 
erally does  not  come  precipitately,  but  slowly  and  gradually. 
When  a  huge  stone  is  started  from  the  tojD  of  a  hill  to  roll  down- 
ward, it  will,  at  first,  move  slowl}^  but  gradually  its  velocity 
will  increase,  and  finally  it  will  tear  along  Avith  frightful  rapidity, 
until  with  a  crash  it  reaches  the  abyss  below.  And  thus  it  is 
with  many  of  those  unto  whom  Christ  is  set  for  their  fall.  The 
first  symptom  of  their  fall  is  a  certain  indifference,  a  lack  of  zeal 
for  heavenly  things,  which  takes  possession  of  their  souls.  They 
arc  not  interested  in  God's  kingdom  as  much  as  they  formerly 
have  been.  They  do  not  care  as  much  for  the  Gospel  as  they  did 
before.  If  they  can  only  find  some  trivial  reason  to  stay  at  home 
on  Sunday  and  not  go  to  church  they  are  glad  to  do  so.  They  do 
not  listen  to  the  sermon  with  devout  attention  and  with  a  desire 
to  hear  God's  message.  And  if  something  is  said  in  the  sermon 
that  stings  and  disturbs  them  they  object  inwardly  and  harden 
their  hearts  against  the  divine  Word.  And  if  there  is  no  halt  in 
this  downward  course,  still  graver  symptoms  will  appear.  They 
will  not  read  the  Scriptures.  They  will  not  come  to  the  Lord's 
Supper.  They  will  cease  to  l)ray.  They  will  shun  the  comjiany 
of  Christians  and  seek  their  most  intimate  friends  among  the 
children  of  this  world.  They  will  connnit  gross  sins  and  not 
repent,  and  thus  keep  on  like  the  rolling  stone  in  its  downward 
course. 

(),  what  a  grave  (juestion,  then,  for  all  of  us  at  the  end  of 
the  year,  the  (pu'stion:  Was  the  child  Jesus  set  for  your  rising 
or  for  your  fall?    i),  blessed  is  he  unto  whom  Jesus  was  set  for 


SUNDAY   AFTER   CHRISTJMAS.  41 

a  rising !  Blessed  is  he  who  firmly  clings  to  the  Rock  of  ages, 
whose  faith  did  increase,  whose  love  to  the  Lord  Jesus  became 
only  the  more  fervent !  Blessed  is  he  who  did  not  waver  amid 
all  the  trials  and  temptations  that  did  beset  him  during  the  past 
year  in  this  vale  of  tears,  but  who  stood  firm  and  sought  comfort 
in  Christ's  words  !  Blessed  is  he  whose  walk  and  conversation 
was  in  conformity  with  his  Christian  calling !  In  short,  blessed 
is  he  who  came  nearer  to  Jesus  during  the  past  year ! 

But  how,  my  friend,  if  this  were  not  the  case  with  you? 
How,  if  you  had  started  already  on  the  downward  coursed  Your 
own  heart  and  conscience  will  tell  you  whether  Jesus  was  set  for 
your  fall.  But  if  that  should  be  the  case  with  you,  sad  as  it  is, 
let  me  tell  you,  there  is  still  hope  for  you.  The  Lord  God  does 
not  want  to  see  you  lost.  Even  now  Jesus  extends  to  you  His 
powerful  and  merciful  hand.  O  come,  believe  on  Him,  trust  in 
Him  to  give  you  strength,  and  you  shall  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life. 

II. 

And  to  show  what  we  must  do  in  order  to  remain  on  the 
path  that  leads  to  eternal  life  and  not  to  go  astray,  our  Gospel 
proposes  to  us,  for  the  end  of  the  year,  a  threefold  lesson. 

The  first  lesson  we  may  take  from  Simeon's  and  Anna's 
good  old  age.  Simeon  had  attained  to  an  age  reached  by  prob- 
ably one  among  a  hundred.  He  had  been  anxious  to  behold 
Avith  his  own  eyes  the  promised  Savior  and  then  to  depart  in 
peace.  An  old  tradition  has  it  that  this  was  his  last  visit  at  the 
temple,  that  he  fell  down  and  expired  on  the  floor  of  the  temple 
when  he  had  finished  his  hymn  to  the  Savior.  And  of  Anna  we 
are  told,  ^'■Slie  ivas  a  ividow  of  about  fourscore  and  four  years.''^ 
Such  a  good  old  age  is  awarded  to  but  few  among  the  living. 
What  lesson  are  we  taught  thereby?  We  are  taught  not  to  put 
off  repentance,  and  wait  for  old  age  to  come,  and  then  to  pre- 
pare to  meet  our  God.  You  do  not  know  how  quickly  and  how 
suddenly  you  may  be  summoned  to  appear  before  the  tribunal  of 
your  Maker.  Another  year  of  your  earthly  pilgrimage  is  draw- 
ing to  a  close  and  so  much  nearer  are  you  come  to  the  grave. 
Therefore  fix  your  account  with  God,  so  as  to  be  ready  at  any 
moment  to  depart  in  peace. 


42  SUNDAY    AFTER    CHRISTMAS. 

The  next  lesson  we  may  take  from  Simeon's  and  Anna's 
piety  and  faithfulness  in  their  attendance  at  the  temple.  Of 
Simeon  we  are  told  in  the  passage  preceding  our  text  that  "he 
was  just  and  devout,  waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel:  and 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  upon  him."  And  of  Anna  we  read,  ''She 
dtparti'd  not  from  the  trmjjle,  but  served  God  icith  fastings  and 
prat/ers  night  and  day.''  Seven  years  had  she  lived  with  her 
husband  from  her  virginity.  Then  came  the  lone  days  of  widow- 
hood. But  there  is  a  guiding  star  by  which  she  is  directed  on 
life's  pathway,  and  that  is  the  redemption  through  the  Messiah, 
whom  she  expects  to  see  before  death  comes.  Having  pondered 
over  the  promises  and  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament,  she 
knew  that  now  the  time  was  fulfilled  and  that  the  long  expected 
Redeemer  was  to  come.  She  is  old  and  feeble,  but  there  is  an 
occupation  to  which  she  clings  and  from  which  she  can  not  de- 
sist, and  that  is  to  serve  God  with  fastings  and  jnayers  night 
and  day.  She  is  a  widow  indeed,  as  described  by  St.  Paul, 
*'a  widow  who  is  desolate,  trusteth  in  God  and  continueth  in 
sup})lic'ations  and  prayers  day  and  night."  Now,  what  lesson 
does  that  teach  us?  It  teaches  us  to  lead  a  pious  life  and  faith- 
fully to  serve  the  Lord  our  God,  not  only  privately  in  our  homes 
by  a  diligent  use  of  the  word  of  God  and  by  prayer,  but  also 
publicly  by  attending  the  house  of  worship,  by  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  divine  service,  and  by  hearing  with  devout  attention 
the  preaching  of  the  divine  Word.  Do  not  fail,  then,  in  the  com- 
ing year,  diligently  to  provide  for  the  wants  of  your  immortal 
soul,  and  to  be  fed  with  the  liread  of  eternal  life. 

Then,  my  friends,  the  coming  year  will  be  unto  you  a  year 
of  blessing.  Even  if  dire  calamities  should  be  in  store  for  you, 
it  will  be  a  year  of  ))lcssing.  AVe  read  in  our  Gospel,  ''And  ivhen 
they  had  j)erf armed  all  things  according  to  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
they  returned  into  Galilee,  to  their  own  city  Nazareth.''  But 
something  inten'enod  ])efore  they  reached  Nazareth.  King  Herod 
sought  to  destroy  the  child,  and  they  had  to  flee  to  the  land  of 
Egyi)t.  This,  most  likely,  was  the  first  occasion  for  a  swoid  to 
])i('i(('  through  Mary's  soul,  to  think  that  her  child  was  the  Son 
of  (iod  and  that  He  must  flee  from  a  tyrant.  But  soon  was  this 
tribulation  overcome,  and  at  the  end  of  our  Gospel  we  read, 
*'And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  filled  witli 


NEW  year's  day.  43 

wisdom:  and  the  g7'ace  of  God  was  upon  Him.'"  Now  what 
lesson  does  that  teach  us?  It  teaches  us  not  to  fear  for  the 
child  Jesus,  not  to  fear  for  the  spreading  of  His  kingdom  and 
for  the  future  welfare  of  the  church.  Let  the  enemies  of  Chris- 
tianity be  ever  so  bold  and  use  all  their  craftiness  and  power  to 
destroy  what  God  has  built,  they  shall  succeed  as  little  as  did 
King  Herod.  The  Christ  Child  shall  grow  and  wax  stronger, 
and  no  power  in  heaven  or  on  earth  shall  be  able  to  stem  the 
progress  of  His  church  and  the  coming  of  His  kingdom.  And 
if  at  times  it  should  seem  as  if  we  must  cry,  "Lord,  help  us, 
we  perish!"  the  Lord  will  always  be  with  us.  His  little  flock; 
He  will  not  forsake  us.  He  will  help  us  with  His  powerful  hand 
in  all  times  of  need  and  distress,  and  will  finally  conduct  us  to  the 
realm  of  glory,  where  we  shall  sing  His  praise  forever.    Amen. 


NEW  YEAE'S  DAY. 


Luke  2,  21. 
And  when  eight  days  were  accomplished  for  the  circumcising  of  the  child, 
his  name  was  called  JESUS,  which  was  so  named  of  the  angel  before  he  was 
conceived  in  the  womb. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

'■^And  when  eight  days  wer'e  accomplished,'^  says  our  text. 
Eight  days  since  when?  Since  the  birth  of  Jesus.  And  this  is 
the  eighth  day  after  the  joyous  festival  of  Christ's  birth.  So  the 
reason  why  this  Gospel  was  placed  on  the  church  calendar  for  the 
day  is,  because  the  occurrence  corresponds  with  the  date. 

And  what  date  is  this?  It  is  the  first  day  in  a  new  secular 
year,  New  Year's  Day,  a  day  of  joy  and  mirth,  a  day  greeted 
with  delight  and  hailed  with  gladness  by  Christians  and  non- 
Christians.  It  will  certainly  interest  us  all  to  know  that  there 
was  a  time  when  this  day  was  not  celebrated  in  the  Christian 
church  as  a  festival.  In  the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era 
the  Christians  observed  this  day  as  a  day  of  fasting.  On  this  day 
the  heathen  had  a  great  celebration  in  their  way,  offering  great 
sacrifices  to  their  gods,  eating,  drinking,  dancing,  and  being  merry. 
And  the  Christians  were  careful  not  to  appear  as  if  they  took  a 


44  NEW   YEAR  S    DAY. 

part  in  those  festivities  of  the  heathen.  Augustine,  who  lived  in 
tlu'  latter  part  of  the  fourth  and  in  tlie  beginning  of  the  fifth 
century,  says,  "On  this  day  we  Christians  fast  and  sigh  for  the 
iieathen  who  are  joyful."  But  when  in  the  course  of  time 
lieathenism  was  detiironed  and  Christianity  was  made  the  religion 
of  the  state,  the  Christians  made  a  festival  of  the  day  which 
formerly  had  been  a  day  of  fasting.  It  is  not  more  than  about 
seven  hundred  years  that  New  Year's  Day  is  celebrated  in  the 
church  as  a  joyful  festival.  And  why  do  Christians  hail  this  day 
with  joy  and  gladness  ?  Because,  as  we  are  informed  in  our  Gospel, 
the  Lord  (Jod  did  for  us  a  great  thing  on  this  day.  He  conferred 
upon  us  a  great  gift,  a  priceless  treasure.  And  the  solemn  im- 
portance of  the  day  reminds  us  that  we  should  consecrate  our- 
selves to  (iod  and  thus  present  also  to  Him  a  gift  on  this  memo- 
rable day  of  our  earthly  lives.  Accordingly,  the  subject  of  our 
discourse  shall  be  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

TWO  NEW  YEAR'S  GIFTS, 

I.  ^l  fji'fat  (jift  which  God pvtsents  to  u.s,  and 
11.  A  small  gift  ivhich  vje  should  present  to  God. 

I. 

While  with  the  children  of  men  Christmas  Day  is  the  day  of 
gifts.  New  Year's  Day  is  with  them  the  da}'  of  good  wishes  and 
congratulations.  And  there  is  a  New  Year's  wish  for  us  all,  written 
by  (iod  and  extended  to  us  in  His  divine  word.  That  New  Year's 
wish  is  our  sinii)lc  and  brief  Gospel  which  reads,  ^^And  ivhen 
eif/hf  (fays  icere  accompUslied  for  the  circumcisinri  of  the  child. 
His  iKiine  inas  called  Jesus,  tvhich  loas  so  named  of  the  ancfel 
before  He  ivas  conceived  in  the  tvoinh.^'  Now  we  must  know  that 
God's  wishes  are  not  like  the  wishes  of  men,  not  sim})ly  cluH'ring 
words  and  hop(^ful  expressions.  When  God  wishes  us  anything. 
He,  at  the  same  time,  imparts,  presents  to  us  that  which  He  wishes. 
David,  therefore,  says,  "For  Thou  blessest,  O  Lord,  and  it  shall 
b(!  l)lessed  forever."  The  fact  is  that  God  on  this  day  had  His 
l)eloved  Son  shed  the  first  drops  of  His  i)reci()us  blood  to  assure 
us  of  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  and  that  in  the  darkness  before 
us,  in  the  dim  future,  which  our  eyes  can  not  penetrate,  lie  writes 
the  sweet  nanu*  of  .Iksis  in  Haming  letters  to  dispel  all  the  dark- 
ness and  to  illumine  our  path. 


NEW  year's  day.  45 

In  the  first  place,  let  us  note  that  Jesus  was  circumcised  on 
this  day.  Now  that  seems  to  be  a  very  foolish  thing  in  the  eyes 
of  man,  that  Jesus  should  submit  to  this  old  Israelitish  rite  and 
sacrament.  But  such  are  God's  institutions,  foolish  in  the  eyes 
of  man.  It  is  the  same  with  Baptism,  which  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment has  followed  in  the  wake  of  Circumcision.  And  why  did 
Jesus  submit  to  Circumcision?  Did  He  have  to  do  that?  or  did 
He  do  that  for  His  own  sake  ?  No  ;  Jesus  was  not  under  the  Law. 
He  is  Lord  of  all.  And  yet  He  placed  Himself  under  the  Law 
and  was  obedient  to  the  Law  for  our  sakes,  because  by  the  Law 
we  were  all  condemned.  We  are  all  sinners,  and  eternal  condemna- 
tion is  our  doom,  because  we  do  not  fulfill  the  commandments. 
However,  Jesus  came  to  fulfill  the  commandments  in  our  stead 
and  to  pay  the  penalty  for  our  transgressions.  And  on  this  day 
He  made  the  beginning  to  atone  for  us  by  His  precious  blood. 
This  day  He  shed  the  first  drops  of  His  blood,  to  be  followed  by 
His  holy  sacrificial  offering  on  the  cross,  when  as  the  Lamb  of 
God  He  bled  and  died  for  us  all.  This  day,  the  first  day  of  the 
year,  God  extends  to  us  in  His  New  Year's  wish  a  general  pardon 
for  all  our  transgressions,  for  all  our  sins  in  the  past  year  and  for 
all  the  sins  of  the  new  year ;  a  general  pardon  by  the  blood  and 
righteousness  of  His  beloved  Son. 

And  to  this  grand  New  Year's  gift  God  adds  something  more. 
As  in  Baptism  the  child  receives  a  name,  so  did  the  Son  of  God 
receive  a  name  in  Circumcision.  And  what  is  that  name?  Jesus. 
Why  the  name  Jesus?  Because  '■'■He  was  so  named  of  the  angel 
before  He  loas  conceived  in  the  womb.""  And  what  is  the  meaning 
of  this  name?  The  angel  said  to  Joseph,  "Thou  shalt  call  His 
name  Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins."  Jesus 
means  Savior,  Redeemer.  Now  in  His  great  New  Year's  wish 
God  presents  to  us  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  that  is  not  an  empty 
name.  In  the  dark  future  before  us,  the  name  of  Jesus  boldly 
stands  forth  in  shining  letters,  more  bright  than  gold,  and  silver, 
and  sparkling  diamonds.  Jesus  will  guide  our  way  and  illumine 
our  path.  Jesus  will  be  with  us  in  the  new  year,  as  He  has  been 
in  the  old.  Jesus  will  be  in  our  hearts,  in  our  homes,  in  our  humble 
little  church,  in  our  assembly.  His  grace  will  not  depart  from  us, 
nor  will  the  covenant  of  His  peace  be  removed.  His  love  will  be 
the  same.  His  mercy  the  same,  His  comfort  the  same.    No  matter 


46  NEW  year's  day. 

what  may  bo  in  store  for  us,  in  days  of  joy  and  in  days  of  sorrow, 
Josu.-?  will  be  with  us.  Let  the  drear}'  diiys  come,  let  times  of 
sorrowing  eorae,  let  our  best  friends  desert  us,  Jesus  will  not 
leave  us.  lie  will  be  with  us  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world. 

Tell  me,  my  friends,  is  not  this  a  grand  wish  and  gift  for 
the  new  year?  O  how  happy,  how  fortunate  are  we,  how  rich, 
how  l)lessed  to  have  the  sweet  name  of  Jesus !  God  is  the 
almighty  Owner  of  the  earth.  If  He  wished,  He  could  give  us 
all  the  gold  and  silver  in  the  world.  But  what  should  we  be 
benefited  if,  at  the  same  time,  we  did  not  possess  the  Gospel  of 
His  grace?  We  would  be  poor  and  miserable;  for  in  death  we 
must  leave  all,  and  all  the  riches  of  this  earth  can  not  purchase 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  God  could  also  give  us  the  promise 
and  make  true  the  promise  that  during  the  year  no  illness  should 
visit  our  homes,  no  sorrow  should  come  into  our  hearts,  no  want 
should  knock  at  our  doors,  that  all  our  days  should  be  joyful 
and  happy  on  this  earth.  But  how  do  we  know  that  such  con- 
tinuous joy  would  be  for  our  own  good?  What  are  all  the  joys 
of  life  without  the  grace  of  God?  Must  we  not  all  die?  And 
what  is  more  terrible  than  the  fate  of  the  rich  man  who  found 
himself  in  hell  and  torment,  after  he  had  fared  sumptuously 
every  day  and  had  received  his  good  things  in  his  life-time?  — 
Indeed,  the  grace  of  God  imparted  to  us  with  the  sweet  name 
of  Jesus  is  the  grandest  gift  that  God  could  bestow  upon  us. 

II. 

Having  shown  you  the  great  gift  which  God  bestows  on  us 
this  New  Year's  Day,  let  me,  in  the  second  place,  call  your  atten- 
tion to  a  small  gift  which  we  should  present  to  God. 

Our  Gospel  says  that  Jesus  ''2vas  so  named  of  the  anrjel 
hefon-  III  was  conceived  in  the  ivoinb.''  And,  as  we  have  heard 
before,  the  angel  said  to  Joseph,  "Thou  shalt  call  His  name 
Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins."  So  the 
very  name  of  Jesus  reminds  us  of  the  fact  that  we  are  sinners, 
who  are  in  need  of  a  Savior. 

And  now  what  can  we  give  to  God  as  a  New  Year's  <>-ift  since 
wo  are  snmcrs?  Shall  we  give  Him  our  property,  our  earthly 
possessions?     Ah,   I  am  afraid  that   perhaps  many  a  Christian 


NEW  year's  day.  47 

would  be  unwilling  to  do  that.  How  do  some  people  grumble 
and  complain  when  they  are  called  upon  to  do  something  for  God, 
to  give  for  the  church  !  They  can  spend  money  very  lavishly  for 
their  own  amusement  and  pleasure,  but  even  a  small  amount  for 
the  church  is  too  much  for  them.  And  yet  Christ  says,  "Who- 
soever forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath  he  can  not  be  my  disciple." 
A  true  Christian  should  not  only  be  willing  to  give  freely  for 
God's  kingdom,  but  should  do  so  without  grumbling,  should  find 
pleasure  in  so  doing,  and  thank  the  Lord  when  he  is  able  to  aid 
by  earthly  means  in  the  establishment  of  God's  kingdom.  Still, 
if  we  should  sacrifice  all  our  possessions  for  Christ's  sake,  can 
we  really  say  that  we  have  given  God  anything?  Is  not  God  the 
real  Owner  ?  Does  not  heaven  and  earth  belong  to  Him  ?  Are  we 
more  than  stewards  who  must  give  account  to  God  how  we  dealt 
with  those  goods  which  He  placed  in  our  hands  on  this  earth  ? 

What  else,  then,  can  we  give  God  as  a  New  Year's  gift? 
Shall  we  give  Him  our  clothing,  when  in  the  shape  of  a  beggar 
He  appeals  to  us  to  give  Him  protection  and  shelter?  Shall  we 
give  Him  food  and  drink  when  to  the  poor  that  are  starving, 
because  they  can  not  procure  the  necessaries  of  life,  we  give 
nourishment?  All  this  we  are  required  to  do  as  Christians,  and 
Jesus  distinctly  says  of  such  deeds  done  in  the  faith,  "Inasmuch 
as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren, 
ye  have  done  it  unto  Me."  Still,  can  we  really  say  that  we  have 
given  God  anything  when  we  have  ministered  to  the  wants  of 
those  that  are  in  need?  Is  not  God  the  real  Owner  of  all  that 
we  possess,  also  of  our  food  and  raiment? 

Yet,  my  friends,  there  is  one  thing  we  have,  and  which  we 
can  really  give  God  as  a  New  Year's  gift.  It  is  very  small  indeed, 
insignificant  compared  with  the  great  New  Year's  gift  of  our  God  ; 
but  God  will  gladly  accept  it,  aye,  He  begs  for  it,  as  it  were,  He 
asks  and  demands  of  us  that  we  should  give  Him  that  gift.  In 
the  book  of  Proverbs  He  says,  "My  son,  give  Me  thy  heart,  and 
let  thine  eyes  observe  My  ways." 

O  let  us  give  God  our  hearts.  Let  this  be  our  New  Year's 
gift.  And  how  shall  we  do  that?  The  heart  is  the  seat  of  our 
affection,  the  seat  of  love.  To  give  God  our  hearts  is  to  love 
Him.  By  nature  our  hearts  are  alienated  from  God.  By  nature 
our  hearts  do  not  cling  to  God,  but  to  sin,  to  the  world  and  its 


48  SLNDAV    AFTKH    NEW   YEAR. 

evil  lii.sts.  We  must,  therefore,  tear  away  our  heart  from  the 
world  and  from  sin  and  give  it  to  Him  who  made  it,  to  God. 
Tills  we  can  never  do  of  our  own  natural  power,  but  only  in  the 
power  of  (Jod.  And,  therefore,  we  must  call  upon  God  to  give 
us  strength  from  on  high.  We  must  be  so  minded  that  every 
dav  of  the  year  we  say  in  our  hearts,  I  do  not  covet  the  riches  of 
this  earth,  if  only  I  am  made  rich  in  God  ;  I  do  not  care  for  the 
pleasures  of  this  world,  if  only  I  am  made  sure  of  the  pleasures  of 
heaven;  I  do  not  desire  earthly  glory,  if  only  I  shall  be  honored 
as  a  child  of  God.  Our  motto  must  be  for  the  New  Year,  "Lord, 
whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee  ?  And  there  is  none  upon  earth 
that  I  desire  beside  Thee."  Behold,  then,  if  this  we  do,  then  we 
have  given  God  our  heart,  and  not  a  better  New  Year's  gift  does 
He  desire. 

Let  us  love  Him,  then,  for  He  hath  first  loved  us.  If  we 
remain  in  this  love,  we  shall  also  remain  in  the  faith,  and  if  we 
remain  in  the  faith,  the  New  Year  shall  be  unto  us  a  year  of  grace 
and  blessing.  May  the  Lord  grant  us  this  for  the  sake  of  Jesus, 
His  ])eloved  Son,  our  Lord,  unto  whom  be  praise  and  glory  for- 
ever and  ever.    Amen. 


SUNDAY  AFTER  NEW  YEAR. 


Matt.  2,  13—23. 
Ami  wlicn  they  were  departed,  behold,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeareth  to 
.losopli  ill  ii  dream,  saying.  Arise,  and  take  the  young  cliild  and  his  mother,  and 
floe  into  Kgypt,  and  l)e  tiiou  there  until  I  bring  thee  word:  for  Herod  will  seek 
the  young  child  to  destroy  him.  When  he  arose,  he  took  the  young  cliild  and 
his  motiier  by  nigiit,  and  departed  into  Egypt:  and  was  there  until  tlie  death  of 
Herod:  that  it  might  be  fullllled  which  was  spoken  of  the  J^ord  by  the  prophet, 
saying.  Out  of  Egy|)t  liave  I  called  my  son.  Then  Herod,  when  he  saw  tliat  he 
was  mocked  of  the  wise  men,  was  exceeding  wroth,  and  sent  forth,  and  slew  all 
the  children  that  were  in  Bethleliem,  and  in  all  tl>e  coasts  tiiereof,  from  two 
years  old  and  under,  according  to  the  time  which  he  had  diligently  enquired  of 
the  wise  men.  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by  .Jeremy  the  projihet, 
saying,  In  Hama  was  there  a  voice  heard,  lamentation,  aiul  \veei)ing,  and  great 
mourning,  Hac^hel  weeping  for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted,  be- 
cause tlicy  iire  not.  But  when  Herod  was  dead,  l)ehold,  an  angel  of  tlie  Lord 
appciiivtii  in  a  dream  to  .Joseph  in  ICgyi)t,  saying,  Arise,  ami  take  tlie  young 
cliild  and  ids  mother,  and  go  into  the  land  of  Israel:  for  tliey  arc  dead,  wliicli 
souglit  tile  young  ciiild's  life.     .Viid  lie  arose,  and  took  the  young  cliild  and  his 


SUNDAY  AFTER  NEW  YEAR.  49 

mother,  and  came  luto  the  hind  of  Israel.  But  when  he  lieard  that  Archelaus 
did  reign  in  Judaea  in  the  room  of  his  father  Herod,  he  was  afraid  to  go  thither: 
notwithstanding,  being  warned  of  God  in  a  dream,  lie  turned  aside  into  tlie  parts 
of  Galilee:  and  he  came  and  dwelt  in  a  city  called  Nazareth:  that  it  miglit  i)e 
fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  proi)hets,  He  shall  be  called  a  Nazarene. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

King  Herod  wiis  an  enemy  of  Christ,  though  he  pretended  to 
l)e  a  friend  of  Christ  when  he  said  to  the  wise  men  from  the  East, 
*'(tO  and  search  diligently  for  tJie  young  Child,  and  when  ye  have 
found  Him,  bring  me  ivord  again  that  I  may  come  and  worsJiip 
Him  also.^^  To  this  day  there  are  enemies  of  Christ  that  pose  as 
His  friends.  Christ  distinctly  says,  "He  that  is  not  with  me,  is 
against  me ;  and  he  that  gathereth  not  with  me,  scattereth  abroad." 
According  to  these  words  of  our  divine  Lord  all  those  that  mean 
to  hold  a  neutral  position,  and  all  those  that  do  not  gather  with 
Him,  or  work  for  Him  and  for  His  kingdom,  must  be  looked 
upon  as  His  opponents.  They  are  against  Him;  they  are  His 
enemies.  You  are  either  a  friend  of  Christ,  and  then  you  will  act 
the  part  of  a  friend,  you  will  confess  His  name  and  work  for  His 
kingdom ;  or  you  are  an  enemy  of  Christ,  and  then  you  will  act 
the  part  of  an  enemy,  though  you  may  do  so  under  the  disguise 
•of  a  friend. 

There  are  many  in  our  days  who  do  not  believe  in  Christ  and 
yet  they  do  not  openly  speak  against  Him,  or  persecute  Him. 
Sometimes  there  are  children  who  are  scoffers  and  infidels  at  the 
bottom  of  their  hearts,  and  yet  they  come  to  church  and  make  an 
outward  profession  of  the  Christian  religi(m  on  account  of  their 
pious  parents  whom  they  would  not  like  to  offend  by  an  open 
renunciation  of  the  faith.  And  then  again  there  are  parents  who 
are  outspoken  unbelievers,  and  yet  they  send  their  children  to 
-church  and  to  Sunday-school,  because  they  can  not  deny  the  whole- 
some influence  of  religion.  Then  there  are  such  as  do  not  openly 
join  the  ranks  of  blasphemers,  because  if  they  did  this,  it  might 
injure  their  trade  and  business,  or  because  by  such  a  step  they 
would  hurt  the  feelings  of  their  Christian  friends.  And  so  they 
do  not  wish  to  sever  their  connection  with  the  church  altogether. 
They  pose  as  Christians  whilst  their  entire  mien  and  demeanor 
.plainly  shows  they  do  not  care  for  the  church ;  the  word  of  God 
has  no  charms  for  them  ;  thev  are  unbelievers,  enemies  of  Christ. 


50  SUNDAY  AFTER  NEW  YEAR. 

But  aside  from  these  secret  enemies  there  is  another  class  of 
bold,  outspoken  enemies  of  Ciirist  and  His  religion,  enemies  raging 
and  ravin"-  a<rainst  Christ  like  Herod  in  our  Gospel,  enemies  who 
plot,  and  seek  to  destroy  Christ,  and  to  wi{)e  Christianity  from 
the  earth.    Let  us  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

HOW  THE  ENEMIES  PLOT  AGAINST  CHRIST  AND  HIS  KINGDOM; 

and  let  us  consider 

1.    The  craftiness  of  their  plotting. 
II.    The  uselessness  of  their  plotting . 

I. 

How  ingeniously  did  Herod  plot  against  the  newborn  Savior  I 
When  the  wise  men  came  to  Jerusalem  from  the  East,  seeking  the 
newborn  King  of  the  Jews,  he  discovered  that  such  a  King  was 
expected  and  that  He  was  to  be  born  in  Bethlehem.  So  he  sent 
those  wise  men  to  l^ethlehem  and  instructed  them  to  be  sure  and 
come  back  to  tell  him  whether  they  had  found  that  King,  so  that 
he  also  might  worship  Him.  The  hypocrite  !  He  never  thought 
of  worshiping  the  Child.  He  meant  to  kill  Him.  God,  there- 
fore, told  the  wise  men  in  a  dream  not  to  return  to  Herod,  and 
they  departed  into  their  own  country  another  way.  ^^And  ichen 
they  were  departed^  behold,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  oppeareth  to 
JosepJt  in  a  dream,  saying,  Arise,  and  take  the  yoting  Child  and 
His  mother,  and  flee  into  Egypt,  and  he  thou  tJtere  until  I  bring 
thee  word:  for  lie  rod  will  seek  the  young  Child  to  destroy  Jlim.'^ 
Behold  the  ingenuity  and  shrewdness  with  which  this  enemy  plots 
and  schemes  against  the  Lord's  Anointed  !  So  cleverly  does  he 
arrange  his  plans,  so  secretly  does  he  work,  it  seems  he  nnist 
succeed.  Must  not  the  wise  men  return  to  their  homes  by  the 
way  of  Jerusalem?  Must  not  gratitude  prompt  them  to  bring 
Herod  all  the  information  desired?  It  was,  indeed,  a  finely  laid 
j>l(>t,  a  selienie  which  could  not  but  work  successfully  to  the  mind 
of  the  bloody  tyrant,  whose  soul  was  as  black  as  night,  who 
broyded  tleath  and  destruction  merely  to  keej)  his  throne  and  not 
to  be  pushed  aside  by  an  intruder. 

But  Herod  not  only  plotted  against  Christ's  person,  but  also 
against  His  kingdom.  We  read  of  Joseph,  "  When  he  arose,  he 
took  the  yonng  Chllil  anil  If  is  titother  hy  nigJit,  and  departed  into 
^OyP^'  <">'f  >'''"<  fl"  !''■  >nitil  the  death  of  Jlerod :   that  it  might  be 


SUNDAY   AFTKIl    NEW   VEAU.  51 

fulJiJled  which  jvas  spoken  of  the  Lord  by  the  prophet,  saying. 
Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  my  Son.' '  So  the  persecution  directed 
against  tlie  person  of  Clirist  did  strike  those  also  that  were  witii 
Christ.  The  whole  family  had  to  flee  for  the  life  of  Jesus,  and 
dwell  for  a  time  in  a  strange  country,  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  And 
not  only  the  near  relatives  of  Jesus  had  to  suffer  inconvenience, 
but  also  those  that  were  in  the  same  locality  were  aftiicted  for 
Jesus'  sake.  For  we  are  told,  ^'■Then  Herod,  when  he  saw,  that 
he  2vas  mocked  of  the  ivise  men,  was  exceeding  wroth,  and  sent 
forth,  and  slew  all  the  children  that  were  in  Bethlehem,  and  in 
all  the  coasts  thereof,  from  two  years  old  and  under,  according  to 
the  time  which  he  had  diligently  enquired  of  the  wise  men.^'  Here 
again  we  perceive  the  ingenuity  and  shrewdness  of  the  bloody 
tyrant.  The  Child  that  was  heir  to  the  throne  had  to  die  at  all 
hazards.  And  since  the  wise  men  had  not  brought  him  the  in- 
formation  he  desired,  since  he  only  knew  where,  but  not  who  the 
Child  was,  he  determined  to  slay  all  the  children  in  and  around 
Bethlehem,  of  two  years  and  under.  How  could  the  mysterious 
Child  escape  then?  When  those  infants  were  butchered  and  the 
blood  of  the  first  martyrs  Avas  shed,  the  king  was  sure  of  it  that 
he  could  not  have  missed  the  Christ-child. 

This  cruel  king  has  had  his  followers  at  all  times  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Christian  era  to  this  day.  There  always  have  been 
enemies  of  Christ  who  plotted  and  schemed  against  the  Lord's 
Anointed  and  His  kingdom.  How  did  the  Jews,  notably  the  Phari- 
sees and  chief  rulers,  persecute  Jesus  and  plan  to  kill  Him  !  How 
did  they  breathe  out  threatenings  and  slaughter  against  the  disciples 
of  the  Lord  !  And  the  heathen — how  mercilessly  did  they  deal  with 
Christ's  followers  !  In  the  first  three  centuries  alone  there  were 
seven  persecutions  waged  against  the  Christians  by  seven  different 
Roman  emperors,  and  the  Christians  were  put  to  death  by  the 
thousands.  Like  sheep  they  were  led  to  the  slaughter,  tortured, 
and  killed.  Later  on  Mohammed  came.  He  promised  heaven  to 
those  of  his  followers  who  died  on  the  battle-field  fio-htinor  for  the 
cause  of  Islam.  And  now  the  Christians  were  again  butchered 
by  the  thousands.  Entire  Christian  provinces  were  laid  waste 
and  depopulated.  Then  the  papacy  came.  The  Roman  pontiff 
sat  in  the  temple  of  God,  in  the  church  "shewing  himself  that  he 
is  God."    And  how  cruell}^  did  he  persecute  the  true  followers  of 


52  SLNDAY    AFTER    XEW    YEAK. 

Christ  I  Countless  is  the  number  of  those  who  under  the  rule  of 
tlie  papai-v  were  tortured  and  slauLditered,  beeause  they  woold  not 
acknt)\vledge  any  other  authority  in  matters  of  faith  than  the  word 
of  God,  and  no  other  ruler  and  king  than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
The  books  of  history  are  full  of  horrors  Committed  under  the 
I)aj)al  rule. 

And  have  the  enemies  ceased  at  last  to  plot  against  Christ 
and  Ilis  kino-doni  ?  Have  not  the  most  shocking  atrocities  occurred 
within  recent  years?  Have  not  thousands  of  Christians  been  mas- 
sacred in  cold  l)l()<)d  by  the  Turks?  Are  not  anarchists  and  their 
allies  continually  at  work  planning  how  they  might  overthrow  the 
established  order  of  things  and  destroy  Christ  and  His  religion? 
Do  they  not  openly  sa}'  that  the  time  will  come  when  by  brutal 
force  they  will  accomplish  their  designs,  and  bring  about  the  de- 
sired change  with  blood-stained  hands? — There  is  no  question,  to 
this  day  the  enemies  are  plotting  against  Christ  and  His  kingdom. 

II. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  see  how  useless  all  their 
plotting  is. 

What  did  Herod  accomplish  against  the  person  of  Christ? 
Did  he  dethrone  Christ?  Did  he  make  to  naught  the  prophecy 
of  God  concerning  the  Messiah  ?  No  ;  contrary  to  his  own  will  he 
had  to  be  instrumental  in  fultilling  God's  prophecy.  By  Christ's 
flight  to  Egypt  the  prophecy  had  to  be  fulfilled  which  says,  '"■Out 
of  Eijupt  have  I  called  my  Son/'  And  by  the  massacre  of  those 
innocent  infants  in  the  borders  of  Bethlehem  another  divine 
prophecy  had  to  come  true,  the  prophecy  of  Jeremy,  saying, 
"/>t  Rama  w((s  (here  a  voice  Jieard,  lamentation,  and  weeping, 
and  great  nionrninf/,  Rachel  weejjing  /or  her  children,  and  would 
not  he  cdiiifortid ,  hccansc  theij  are  not.'" 

And  what  did  llcrod  jiccomplish  against  Christ's  kingdom? 
Did  his  power  extend  into  the  realms  of  the  invisible  world? 
Could  \\v  del)ar  (iod's  holy  angels  from  warning  the  wise  men 
and  Joseph  in  a  (beam?  Did  he  not  again,  contrary  to  his  own 
will,  have  to  aid  and  serve  the  kinjjdom  of  Christ  which  he  meant 
to  destroy?  For  did  he  really  harm  those  innocent  infants,  those 
first  martyrs,  who  bled  for  desus'  sake?  Many,  or  perhaps  all 
of  them,  would  have  grown  up  enemies  of  Christ ,  had  tluy  lived; 


SUNDAY    AFTER    NEW    YEAR.  53^ 

for  most  of  the  Jews  rejected  their  Messiah.  But  now  they  en- 
tered into  eternal  glory  and  were  among  those  of  whom  it  is  said 
in  the  Psalm,  "Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  Thou 
hast  perfected  praise."  As  our  children,  dying  in  their  baptismal 
grace,  invariably  go  to  heaven,  so  did  these  infants,  who  were 
Rachel's  children,  children  of  the  covenant,  having  received  the 
sacrament  of  Circumcision  which  in  the  Old  Testament  held  the 
place  of  Baptism,  by  their  premature  death,  get  to  eternal  happi- 
ness and  bliss. 

So  we  have  seen  that  Herod's  plotting  against  Christ  and  His 
kingdom  was  altogether  unsuccessful.  Though  he  succeeded  for 
a  w^hile  in  hiding  his  diabolical  plot  before  the  wise  men,  he  could 
not  hide  it  from  God.  Though  he  formed  his  plans  with  the  ut- 
most ingenuity  and  shrewdness  and  executed  them  with  merciless 
cruelty,  his  fight  against  the  Lord  and  His  Anointed  was  in  vain. 
And  so  it  has  always  been.  The  enemies  of  Christ  never  did 
succeed  and  never  will  succeed.  In  the  early  times  of  the  Chris- 
tian church  both,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  combined  and  arrayed  their 
forces  against  the  Christian  religion.  Entire  libraries  have  been 
Avritten  against  the  divine  truth  of  the  Gospel,  and  heathen  officials 
tried  to  stamp  out  the  pest  of  Christianity,  as  they  called  it,  by 
seizing  and  burning  every  copy  of  the  New  Testament  they  could 
find.  Entire  Christian  provinces  were  ravaged  and  depopulated, 
and  the  smoldering  ruins  of  Christian  homes  showed  how  com- 
pletely the  work  of  devastation  was  done.  But  it  was  in  vain. 
Christ  always  survived  His  enemies.  At  times  it  seemed  as  if 
the  church  of  God  was  no  more.  But  the  Lord  has  ahvays  made 
true  His  promise  that  even  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  His  church. 

And  there  is  one  more  point  to  which  I  would  call  3'our 
attention.  Those  enemies  of  Christ  who  waste  their  efforts  in 
plotting  against  Him  and  His  kingdom  oftentimes  meet  their  due 
punishment  already  in  this  life.  There  is  but  a  short  notice  in 
our  Gospel  concerning  Herod,  ^^But  when  Herod  was  dead,  be- 
hold,  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeareth  in  a  dream  to  Joseph  in 
Egypt,  saying,  Arise,  and  take  the  young  Child  and  His  mother, 
and  go  into  the  land  of  Israel :  for  they  are  dead  which  sought 
the  young  Cliild's  life.''''  Two  secular  historians,  a  Jew  by  the 
name  of  Josephus  and  a  Christian  by  the  name  of  Eusebius,  de- 


54  EPIPIIAXY. 

scribe  the  death  of  this  cruel  king  Herod.  They  tell  us  that  his 
bodv  was  covered  with  ulcers  emitting  such  a  stench,  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  stay  with  him.  ^^'hen  he  saw  that  he  nmst 
die,  he  had  the  most  distinguished  Jews  incarcerated  and  ordered 
that  they  should  l)e  i)ut  to  death  as  soon  as  he  would  })reathe  his 
last,  so  that,  as  he  himself  said,  all  Judaea  would  have  to  mourn, 
in  i)laee  of  rejoicing,  at  his  death.  Then  the  miserable  wretch 
committed  suicide  1)V  i)lunging  a  knife  into  his  heart.  And  there 
is  another  historian  l)y  the  name  of  Lactantius  who  wrote  a  book 
entitled,  "Death  of  Persecutors,"  showing  that  nearly  ever}'  one 
of  those  Koman  emperors  and  officials  who  stained  their  hands 
with  Christian  l)l()od  met  with  a  most  horril)le  death. 

Indeed,  (iod  is  not  mocked.  Even  when  God  does  not  avenge 
the  blood  of  His  saints  on  earth,  even  when  those  who  have  been 
devoting  their  lives  to  i)lottin<?  ao^ainst  Christ  and  His  kingdom 
and  have  been  ])ersccuting  the  children  of  God  pass  away  from 
this  life  apparently  in  peace  and  without  suffering,  they  shall  not 
escape  the  punishment  which  they  deserve.  They  shall  perceive 
whom  they  have  pierced  and  come  to  eternal  woe. 

Let  us,  then,  contidently  trust  in  the  Lord.  Let  the  enemies 
of  Christ  and  His  church  plot  all  they  wish  with  the  utmost  cun- 
ning and  craftiness,  they  shall  succeed  as  little  now  as  they  did 
in  former  times.  "The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us;  the  God  of 
Jacob  is  our  refutre."    Amen. 


EPIPHANY. 

9 

Matt.  2,  1—12. 
Now  when  Jesus  was  born  in  Betlilehem  of  Judaea  in  the  days  of  Herod  the 
king,  behold,  tliere  came  wise  men  from  tiie  east  to  Jerusalem,  saying.  Where 
is  he  that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews?  for  we  have  seen  liis  star  in  the  east,  and 
art-  (.onie  to  worsliij)  him.  W'iien  Herod  tlie  Icing  had  lieard  tiiese  things,  he  was 
truiil)k-d.  and  all  Jerusalein  with  him.  And  wlu-n  he  had  gathered  all  the  chief 
priests  and  scribes  of  the  pe()i)le  togetiicr,  he  demanded  of  them  where  Christ 
should  l)e  i)oni.  And  they  said  unto  him.  In  Hethlehem  of  Judaea:  for  thus  it 
Is  written  by  the  prophet,  And  thou  Hethlehem,  in  the  land  of  Juda,  art  not  the 
least  uniong  the  i)rinces  of  Juda:  for  out  of  thee  shall  come  a  (iovernor,  that 
shall  rule  my  people  Israel.  Then  Herod,  when  he  had  privily  called  the  wise 
men,  enquired  of  them  diligently  what  time  the  star  appeared.  And  he  sent 
them  tf)  Hethlehem,  and  said,  (io  and  search  diligently  for  the  young  child;  and 


EPIPHANY.  55 

when  ye  have  found  him,  bring  me  word  again,  tliat  I  maj-  come  and  worship 
him  also.  When  they  had  iieard  the  king,  tliey  departed;  and,  lo,  the  star, 
which  they  saw  in  the  east,  went  before  them,  till  it  came  and  stood  over  where 
the  young  child  was.  When  they  saw  the  star,  they  rejoiced  with  exceeding 
great  joy.  And  when  they  were  come  into  the  house,  they  saw  the  young  child 
with  Mary  his  mother,  and  fell  down,  and  worshiped  him :  and  when  they  had 
opened  their  treasures,  they  presented  unto  him  gifts;  gold,  and  frankincense, 
and  myrrh.  And  being  warned  of  God  in  a  dream  that  they  should  not  return  to 
Herod,  they  departed  into  their  own  country  another  way. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

The  purport  of  this  Gospel  is  to  inculcate  the  fact  that  also 
the  Gentiles  have  a  part  in  Christ.  That  the  Son  of  God  was  to 
be  the  Savior  of  the  Jews,  there  could  be  no  question.  He  had 
been  promised  to  the  chosen  people  of  God  for  a  period  of  two 
thousand  years.  And  when  the  time  was  fulfilled  and  He  was 
made  manifest  in  the  flesh,  the  Jews  were  the  first  to  be  notified 
that  the  Savior  was  come.  On  the  plains  of  Bethlehem  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  appeared  to  the  shepherds,  who  were  Jews,  and 
brought  them  the  good  tidings  of  great  joy  that  unto  them  was 
born,  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Savior,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord. 
Scarcely,  however,  had  the  Jews  been  made  acquainted  with  this 
joyful  intelligence,  when  the  Lord  God  informed  the  Gentiles 
also  that  a  Savior  had  come  for  them.  And  while  the  good  ti- 
dings were  brought  to  the  Jews  on  the  very  spot,  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  Bethlehem,  where  Jesus  was  born,  the  commu- 
nication of  the  Savior's  birth  was  conveyed  to  the  Gentiles  in  the 
far  East,  far  away  from  the  scene.  While  the  Jews  received 
their  information  by  an  angel  from  heaven  announcing  the  Sav- 
ior's birth,  and  by  the  multitudes  of  the  heavenly  host  singing 
songs  of  praises  upon  earth,  the  Gentiles  beheld  in  the  heavens 
a  wonderful  star.  While  the  Jewish  representatives,  to  whom 
God  communicated  the  great  event,  were  plain  shepherds,  the 
Gentile  representatives  were  men  of  wealth  and  learning. 

Now,  since  we  are  descendants  of  Gentile  nations  and  our 
heathen  ancestors  were  converted  from  heathenism  and  brought 
to  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  O  how  should  we  thank  God  for 
His  great  mercy  shown  unto  us  !  A  special  festival,  the  festival 
of  Epiphany,  which  we  are  celebrating  to-day,  was  arranged  in 
the  church  to  commemorate  this  blessed  fact  and  to  give  us  an 
occasion  to  offer  up  praise  and  thanksgiving  for  the  inestimable 


56  EriPHANY. 

blessintr  that  we  have  been  rescued  from  heathenism  by  the  won- 
{k'rfiil  Child  in  the  manger,  that  we  also  have  a  share  in  the 
Christ-child,  that  He  is  our  Savior  as  well  as  the  Savior  of  the 
Jews,'  and  that  we  have  found  Him,  recognized  in  Him  our  Sav- 
ior, and  have  been  made  members  of  the  Christian  church. 

Our  Gospel,  however,  also  imparts  valuable  instruction. 
"Whatsoever  things  were  written  aforetime  were  written  for  our 
learning,"  and  there  is  something  to  be  learned  of  the  wise  men 
in  our  Gospel.  The  subject  of  our  discourse  shall  be  with  the 
aid  of  Ciod's  Holy  S})irit, 

TRUE  WISDOM  TO  BE  LEARNED  OF  THE  WISE  MEN. 

I.    Tlu'i/  foUowt'd  tlie  guide  from  heaven. 
n.    Tltey  were  not  influenced  hy  the  infidelity  of  otiiers. 
111.    When  they  found  Christ,  they  worshiped  and  honored 
Him. 

I. 

^^Now  when  Jesus  loas  horn  in  Bethlehem  of  Judaea  in  the 
days  (f  Herod  the  king,  behold,  there  came  wise  men  from  the 
East  to  Jerusalem,  saying.  Where  is  He  that  is  born  King  of  the 
Jews?  for  we  have  seen  His  star  in  the  East,  and  are  come  to 
worshij)  Him.'"'  So  these  wise  men  had  a  guide  from  heaven, 
and  they  followed  that  guide,  making  no  delay  and  undertaking 
a  long  and  expensive  journey  to  find  Christ.  But  we  must  not 
think  that  that  wonderful  star  in  itself  was  their  guide.  The 
science  of  astronomy  does  not  teach  the  way  to  heaven.  Men 
have  been  endeavoring  to  show  that  the  Gospel  is  written  in  the 
stars,  but  that  is  a  mere  play  of  fancy.  "The  heavens  declare  the 
glory  of  Ciod ;  and  the  firmament  showetli  His  handiwork."  But 
where  does  the  word  of  God  say  that  man  should  lift  up  his  eyes 
to  heaven  and  read  the  Gospel  in  the  stars?  No;  the  Gospel  is  a 
mystery  which  was  kept  secret  since  the  world  began,  and  is  not 
revealed  by  the  works  of  nature,  but  by  the  great  God  Himself 
in  His  divine  word.  Those  wise  men,  therefore,  must  have  had 
some  divine  revelation  concerning  that  star,  or  they  never  would 
have  comprehended  its  nu'aning. 

Another  false  notion  current  in  our  daj's  concerning  the  star 
of  Bethlehem  is,  that  it  was  soniethinff  in  the  ordinarv  coui'se  of 


EPIPHANY.  .37 

nature.  Astronomers  have  found  that  about  the  time  when  those 
wise  men  journeyed  to  Jerusalem,  there  was  a  conjunction  of 
three  very  bright  stars,  Mars,  Jupiter,  and  Saturnus;  a  conjunc- 
tion which  occurs  only  once  in  eight  centuries.  And  now  it  is 
claimed  that  the  star  which  those  wise  men  beheld  was  this  con- 
junction of  stars.  How  absurd  !  Could  that  conjunction  guide 
them  from  Jerusalem  to  Bethlehem,  and  then  remain  in  a  fixed 
position  over  where  the  young  Child  was  ?  Is  not  Bethlehem 
south  of  Jerusalem  and  do  not  the  ordinary  stars  move  from  east 
to  west  and  stand  so  high  above  us  that  they  always  seem  to  go 
with  us,  and  never  stop  over  and  above  a  certain  place,  while  we 
are  walking  on?  No ;  we  must  not  seek  to  explain  away  miracles. 
There  may  have  been  conjunctions  of  stars  at  the  same  time,  but 
they  certainly  had  nothing  to  do  with  this  star.  This  star  was  a 
special  light  placed  by  the  Lord  God  for  this  special  purpose  in 
the  lower  regions  of  the  atmosphere. 

As  intimated,  the  guide  which  the  wise  men  really  followed 
was  the  divine  revelation  concerning  that  star.  And  now,  when 
they  came  to  Jerusalem,  we  are  told  that  Herod  '■'■gathered  all  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes  of  the  people  together,  and  demanded  of 
them  where  Christ  should  he  horn.  And  they  said  unto  him.  In 
Bethlehem  of  Judaea:  for  thus  it  is  ivritten  hy  the  prophet.  And 
thou  Bethlehem,  in  the  land  of  Juda,  art  not  the  least  among  the 
princes  of  Juda  :  for  out  of  thee  shall  come  a  Governor,  that  shall 
rule  my  people  Israel.''  And  when  Herod  had  told  them  this  and 
had  sent  them  to  Bethlehem,  we  are  informed,  "  When  they  had 
heard  the  king,  they  departed;  and,  lo,  the  star,  which  they  saw 
in  the  East,  ivent  hefore  them,  till  it  came  and  stood  over  where 
the  young  Child  ivas.  When  they  saw  the  star,  they  rejoiced  with 
exceeding  great  joy.''  What  was  it,  then,  that  really  guided  and 
led  these  wise  men  to  Christ?  Which  was  their  true  guide  to 
heaven?  It  Avas  the  word  of  God,  the  word  of  divine  revelation 
spoken  by  the  prophet.  That  was  the  guide  from  heaven  whom 
they  followed.  And  how  wise  were  they  to  follow  that  guide  I 
Had  they  remained  in  the  East  and  paid  no  attention  to  the  won- 
derful star,  and  had  they  not  followed  the  directions  given  by  the 
word  of  God  in  the  writings  of  the  prophet,  they  never  would 
have  come  to  Christ;  they  would  have  remained  in  darkness,  in 
superstition,  and  condemnation. 


58  EPIPHANY. 

Behold,  then,  here  is  true  wisdom.  Follow  the  guide  from 
lu'tiven.  That  guide  is  the  divine  word.  But  you  must  not  wait 
for  a  special  divine  revelation  in  a  dream  or  vision.  You  have  no 
promise  for  that.  God  may  send  you  a  star  in  the  shape  of  great 
joy  or  great  sorrow,  or  in  some  other  way  give  you  an  indication 
that  He  longs  and  yearns  to  save  you  in  i)articular.  But  then  you 
nuist  place  your  confidence  in  the  written  word  of  God,  and  heed 
the  word  of  God.  Let  the  word  of  God  perform  upon  you  its 
mission  on  this  earth.  Let  the  word  of  God  convince  you  that 
vou  are  a  lost  and  condemned  sinner,  and  persuade  you  that  you 
have  been  redeemed  from  sin  and  death  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  by 
His  painful  suffcriuir  and  })itter  death  on  the  cross.  Let  the  word 
of  God  guide  you  through  this  vale  of  tears  to  the  heavenly  man- 
sions. That  is  true  wisdom,  that  is  making  a  profitable  use  of 
your  time  upon  earth,  so  that  you  may  get  to  a  blessed  hereafter. 

IL 

The  wise  men  showed  true  wisdom  in  another  way.  They 
were  not  influenced  by  the  infidelity  of  others.  We  read,  "  Whe)i 
llerod  tht  kin<j  had  liturd  tJiese  tJiinyti,  he  was  troubled  and  all 
Jerusalem  with  him."  Now  imagine  how  these  wise  men  must 
have  felt.  They  had  come  to  Jerusalem,  expecting  to  find  every 
faro  beaming  with  joy,  everybody  speaking  of  the  newborn  King, 
and  the  whole  city  wild  with  excitement.  What  do  they  find  ?  All  is 
(luict.  No  one  seems  to  care  for  that  King  on  whose  account  they 
had  come  so  far  a  way.  Aye,  when  the  object  of  their  visit  is  made 
known,  Herod  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  are  alarmed. 
And  then  again,  such  is  the  indifference  displayed  by  the  inhabit- 
ants, not  a  sinHe  one  of  them  offers  to  jjo  along  to  Bethlehem. 
Could  these  people  more  plainly  show  that  they  did  not  believe  in 
that  newborn  Kinj^?  But  what  do  we  find  the  wise  men  doing? 
Do  they  say  within  themselves,  Ah,  we  have  been  deceived;  we 
have  come  here  in  vain;  there  is  no  newborn  King  of  the  Jews; 
if  there  were,  would  not  His  own  people  know  about  it?  would  not 
the  distinguished  men,  the  learned  and  prominent,  come  with  us 
and  go  to  Bethlehem  ?  No  ;  the  wise  men  were  not  disturbed  in  the 
least.  They  were  not  influenced  by  the  infidelity  of  others.  They 
simply  believed  what  (iod  had  told  them,  and  though  not  a  soul 
seemed  to  share  their  faith,  they  proceeded  to  Bethlehem  at  once. 


EPIPHANY .  5i) 

Behold  here  true  wisdom.  You  must  not  be  disturbed  by  the 
infidelity  of  others.  If  you  allow  yourselves  to  be  influenced  by 
the  adverse  attitude  which  the  majority  of  men  assume  toward 
Christ,  then  you  will  reject  Christ,  reject  the  word  of  God,  and 
be  an  unbeliever.  And  is  not  this  the  greatest  folly  to  think  that 
truth  is  to  be  found  with  the  majority?  Have  not  the  most  ab- 
surd theories  been  advanced  by  the  philosophers  of  this  world, 
and  almost  universally  accepted,  until  they  were  out  of  date,  and 
had  to  make  room  for  other  theories  equally  foolish  ?  And  why 
do  you  expect  the  majority,  and  especially  the  great  men  of  this 
world,  the  rich  and  distinguished,  to  follow  Christ?  Did  not 
Jesus  say,  "Wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way,  that  leadeth 
to  destruction,  and  many  there  be  which  go  in  thereat"  ?  Did  not 
St.  Paul  say,  "Ye  see  your  calling,  brethren,  how  that  not  many 
wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are 
called"  ?  If,  therefore,  you  would  be  truly  wise  and  prudent,  you 
must  not  seek  your  salvation  in  great  Jerusalem,  that  is,  not  with 
the  masses,  but  in  Bethlehem,  in  the  lowly  manger.  You  must 
not  seek  your  salvation  with  the  scribes  and  chief  priests,  that  is, 
with  the  learned,  rich,  and  great,  but  with  Mary  and  Joseph,  with 
those  who  humbly  profess  their  faith  in  Jesus  the  Savior. 

III. 

There  is  one  more  point  showing  the  true  wisdom  of  the  wise 
men.  When  they  had  found  Christ,  they  worshiped  Him.  We  are 
told,  ^^And  ivhen  they  ivere  come  into  the  house,  they  saiv  the 
young  Child  ivith  Mary  His  mother,  and  fell  down,  and  wor- 
shiped Him :  and  lohen  they  had  opened  their  treasures,  they  pre- 
sented unto  Him  gifts;  gold,  and  frankincense,  and  myrrh.^'' 
The  wise  men  had  believed  in  Christ  all  along.  They  believed  in 
Him  as  soon  as  they  were  persuaded  by  the  divine  revelation  that 
the  star  which  they  beheld  in  the  East,  was  the  star  of  the  new- 
born King  of  the  Jews.  We  must  not  think  that  their  faith  in 
Christ  did  not  begin  until  their  eyes  beheld  Him.  But  now  when 
they  did  see  Him  for  whose  sake  they  had  come  all  the  way  from 
the  far  East,  what  did  they  behold?  Did  they  find  what  they 
surely  must  have  expected?  Did  they  find  a  royal  family  sur- 
rounded with  all  the  luxury  and  comfort  of  Oriental  splendor  and 
ease?    Did  they  find  a  magnificent  palace,  guarded  by  sentries  in 


60  Kl'I  I'll  ANY. 

gorgeous  ;ittii»*  to  protect  the  approach  to  the  great  Prince  and 
King?  No;  there  is  a  low  hut,  and  the  occujjants  are  as  poor  as 
thev  can  be,  and  the  ChiUl  is  a  babe  hke  any  other  child.  Must 
not  their  faith  receive  a  fatal  shock  at  the  sight  of  all  this  pov- 
erty and  lowliness?  Yet  they  were  wise  men,  indeed.  They  knew 
that  the  word  of  God  could  not  deceive  them.  And  did  not  the 
wonderful  star  remain  over  above  the  Child?  So  they  boldly 
ovinanie  all  adverse  sentiments,  fell  down  upon  their  knees,  wor- 
shiped the  Child,  and  honored  Him  with  gifts.  They  gave  Him 
<Told,  and  we  can  well  conceive  how  sorely  the  Child  needed  the 
gold  for  His  impending  flight  to  Egypt.  But  frankincense  and 
myrrh  were  not  considered  es})ecially  valuable.  There  must  be  a 
special  meaning  to  these  two  latter  gifts.  Frankincense  was 
burned  at  the  sacritices  to  honor  the  deity,  and  myrrh  was  used 
in  embalming  a  corpse.  It  seems,  then,  that  by  presenting  these 
two  gifts  the  wise  men  meant  to  profess  their  faith  that  this  Child 
was  both  (iod  and  man. 

Now,  if  we  would  be  wise  and  prudent  like  the  wise  men,  we 
must  see  that  we  keep  the  faith  when  trials  and  atiiictions  come, 
when  things  do  not  turn  out  according  to  our  wishes  and  expecta- 
tions, when  our  faith  receives  a  shock:  Having  found  Christ,  you 
must  hold  on  to  Him.  It  will  never  l)enetit  you  to  believe  in 
Chiist  for  a  while,  and  then  to  turn  away  from  Him.  Only  he 
that  endureth  to  the  end  shall  be  saved.  O  be  not  ashamed,  then, 
of  Christ  and  of  His  Gospel  !  Confess  Him  before  men,  and  He 
will  confess  you  also  })efore  His  Father  in  heaven.  Do  not  mind 
the  scorn  of  the  children  of  this  world.  Say  before  all  men  that 
you  believe  that  flesus  is  both  God  and  man,  that  He  is  your  Sav- 
ior and  Redeemer,  your  Sovereign  and  King,  whom  you  worship, 
and  whom  you  mean  to  serve  as  long  as  you  are  living  upon  this 
earth.  The  wise  nu'ii  honored  Him  and  worshiped  Him  when  He 
was  in  lowliness  and  })overty  ;  how  much  the  more  should  you  wor- 
ship and  honor  Him  now,  since  He  is  exalted  above  the  heavens 
and  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty  ! 

May  the  Lord,  thcMi,  grant  us  all  His  grace  to  iippl}^  our 
JK'ai'ts  unto  true  wisdom  and  to  imitate  the  example  of  the  wise 
men,  to  tin*  glory  of  His  holy  name  and  to  the  salvation  of  our 
.souls !     Amen. 


FIRST    EPIPHANY.  61 

FIRST  EPIPHANY. 


Luke  2,  41—52. 

Now  his  parents  went  to'  Jerusalem  every  year  at  the  feast  of  the  passover. 
And  when  he  was  twelve  years  old^  they  went  up  to  Jerusalem  after  the  custom 
of  the  feast.  And  when  they  had  fulfilled  the  days,  as  they  returned,  the  child 
.Jesus  tarried  behind  in  Jerusalem;  and  Joseph  and  his  mother  knew  not  of  it. 
4<But  they,  supposing  him  to  have  been  in  the  company,  went  a  day's  journey; 
and  they  sought  him  among  their  kinsfolk  and  acquaintance.  And  when  they 
found  him  not,  they  turned  back  again  to  Jerusalem,  seeking  him.  And  it  came 
to  pass,  that  after  three  days  they  found  him  in  the  temple,  sitting  in  the  midst 
of  the  doctors,  both  hearing  them,  and  asking  them  questions.  And  all  that 
heard  him  were  astonished  at  his  understanding  and  answers.  Aud  when  they 
saw  him,  they  were  amazed:  and  his  mother  said  unto  him,  Son,  wliy  hast  thou 
thus  dealt  with  us?  behold,  thy  father  and  I  have  sought  thee  sorrowing.  And 
he  said  unto  them.  How  is  it  that  ye  sought  me  ?  wist  ye  not  tliat  I  must  l)e 
about  my  Father's  business?  And  they  understood  not  the  saying  which  he 
spake  unto  them.  And  he  went  down  Avith  them,  aud  came  to  Nazareth,  and 
was  subject  unto  them:  but  his  mother  kept  all  these  sayings  in  her  heart.  Aud 
Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

The  visit  of  Jesus  to  Jerusalem  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  is 
the  only  incident  recorded  of  the  time  of  His  boyhood.  Beside 
the  remark  that  He  was  subject  to  His  parents  and  that  He  in- 
creased in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man, 
nothing  more  is  said  of  Him  until,  at  the  age  of  thirty  years,  He 
comes  to  John  the  Baptist  and  is  baptized  in  the  river  Jordan. 

Had  anything  remarka])le  occurred  within  this  long  period, 
had  Jesus  done  anything  to  show  that  He  is  the  Son  of  God  and 
Savior  of  the  world,  had  He  performed  a  miracle,  for  instance, 
St.  Luke  would  probably  have  mentioned  it  in  his  Gospel.  Luke 
is  the  only  Evangelist  who  tells  particulars  of  Jesus'  infancy  and 
boyhood,  and  he  seems  to  have  his  information  from  Jesus'  mother, 
Mary,  of  whom  he  distinctly  says  at  different  occasions  that  she 
kept  these  things  in  her  heart.  Had  Jesus  in  any  way  manifested 
His  divinity,  Mary,  undoubtedly,  would  have  told  Luke,  so  that 
he  might  put  it  down  in  his  book  for  future  generations.  We  are 
expressly  told  that  at  the  marriage  at  Cana  in  Galilee  He  per- 
formed His  Jirst  miracle,  turning  water  into  wine.  The  onl}'  time 
when  rays  of  divine  glory  shone  forth  from  the  Son  of  man  in  the 
days  of  His  youth  was  when,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  He  was 


62  FIRST    EPIIMIANV. 

in  the  temple  of  Jerusalem.  There  He  sat,  the  tender  youth,  in 
the  mitlst  of  the  tloctors,  that  is,  the  men  who  had  grown  up  in 
the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  who  were  the  teachers  of  the  people, 
and  were  looked  upon  as  authorities  in  religious  matters.  He  con- 
verses with  these  highly  educated  men.  He  asks  them  and  answers 
them,  and  behold,  sucii  is  the  understanding  and  such  are  the  an- 
swers of  the  boy  of  Galilee,  that  the  doctors  do  not  know  what  to 
make  of  it.  They  are  amazed.  They  had  never  seen  and  heard 
the  like.  And  the  same  amazement  comes  upon  Mary  and  Joseph 
when  He  says  to  them,  ''How  is  it  that  ye  sought  me?  wist  ye 
not  that  I  imist  be  about  my  Father  s  business?''  Here  the  rays 
of  His  divine  glory  are  darting  forth  from  the  Son  of  God,  and 
He  fently  reminds  His  parents  of  the  fact  that  He  is  the  eternal 
Son  of  the  Father,  a  fact  which  they  well  knew,  but  did  not  bear 
in  mind  when  they  addressed  Him. 

A  special  feature,  however,  of  our  Gospel  is,  that  it  contains 
an  important  lesson  for  parents.  It  tells  in  what  manner  parents 
should  care  for  their  children  and  exercise  their  authority  over 
them.  This,  then,  shall  be  the  subject  of  our  discourse,  with  the 
aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

PAREiNTAL  CARE  AND  AUTHORITY. 

We  shall  consider 

I.  Parental  care,  and 
H.    Parental  authority. 

I. 

Parents  need  not  be  told  that  they  must  attend  to  their  chil- 
dren in  earthly  things.  The}^  know  that.  It  is  implanted  by  na- 
ture. Even  the  animals  instinctively  take  care  of  their  young, 
feed  them,  and  protect  them,  until  they  can  take  care  of  them- 
selves. Parents  loving  their  children  will  do  for  them  all  they 
can  that  they  might  l)e  happy  and  become  useful  members  of  the 
human  family.  They  will,  above  all  earthly  things,  give  them  a 
good  education.  For  all  the  inheritance  which  they  may  leave  to 
their  children  can  not  outweigh  a  good  education.  Success  and 
hajjpincss  depends  to  a  great  extent  on  education. 

There  is  one  thing,  however,  which  stands  even  above  earthly 
education,  and  that  is  the  welfare  of  the  child's  immortal  soul. 


FIRST    EPIPHANY.  63 

If  parents  are  required  to  look  to  the  mortal  bodies  of  their  chil- 
dren, how  much  more  to  their  immortal  souls  !  In  this  respect 
the  parents  of  Jesus  may  serve  as  an  example.  Of  them  we  read : 
^^N'ow  His  parents  went  to  Jerusalem  every  year  at  the  feast  of  the 
passover.^''  Mary  and  Joseph  were  a  pious  couple,  they  walked  in 
the  fear  of  God,  they  observed  the  commandments  of  the  Lord, 
and  thereby  they  set  a  good  example  to  the  child  that  was  en- 
trusted to  them.  Parents,  know  that  your  children  will  learn 
more  by  the  example  you  give  them  in  your  daily  lives  than  by 
anything  else.  Live  Christianity  before  their  eyes,  and  they 
w^ill  learn  Christianity.  If  sincerely  you  walk  in  the  fear  of 
God,  your  children  Avill  be  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  godliness, 
and  in  this  wise  you  will  extend  to  them  the  proper  care  for 
their  souls. 

Moreover,  the  parents  of  Jesus  did  not  neglect  the  religious 
training  of  their  child.  They  did  not  content  themselves  with  the 
good  example,  but  led  Him  to  do  as  they  did.  We  read,  '■^And 
when  He  was  twelve  years  old,  they  went  up  to  Jerusalem  after  the 
custom  of  the  feast.  And  when  they  had  fulfilled  the  days,  as 
they  returned,  the  child  Jesus  tarried  behind  in  Jerusalem;  and 
Joseph  and  His  mother  kneiv  not  of  it^  So  they  took  the  child 
J^sus  along  with  them  to  Jerusalem  and  had  Him  worship  with 
them  in  the  temple.  Parents  should  teach  their  children  to  pray 
and  worship  the  Lord,  and  should  urge  them  and  influence  them 
to  walk  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord  as  long  as  they  live. 

Here  is  where  some  parents  make  a  grave  mistake.  They 
hold  to  the  principle  that  their  children  should  form  their  own 
judgment  as  to  the  religion  which  they  mean  to  embrace.  They 
say,  I  do  not  want  to  make  a  hypocrite  of  my  child;  I  have  my 
children  baptized  and  confirmed,  and  after  that  they  must  make 
use  of  their  own  judgment;  if  they  do  not  care  for  the  church,  I 
can  not  help  it.  That  is  a  wrong  principle.  God  demands  of 
you  that  you  should  bring  up  your  children  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord.  That  is  an  express  command  of  God. 
Not  only  should  we  bestow  special  care  upon  the  immortal  souls 
of  our  children  in  the  days  of  their  infancy  and  childhood.  Not 
only  should  we  have  them  baptized,  and  teach  them  to  pray  at 
home,  and  send  them  to  a  Christian  parochial  school,  where  they 
may  receive  a  true  Christian  training,  before  we  send  them  to  the 


64  FIKST    El'l  I'll  ANY. 

public  school,  whore  religion  is  not  and  should  not  be  taught. 
Not  only  should  we  attend  to  their  spiritual  needs  and  have  them 
thorouo-hlv  instructed  in  the  true  faith,  until  they  are  contirnied. 
But  after  their  Contirmation,  when  they  enter  the  wicked  world, 
when  they  come  in  contact  with  all  sorts  of  people,  when  they 
are  bein*"^  tempted  by  the  devil,  the  w^orld,  and  their  own  sinful 
rtesh  more  than  before,  then,  O  parents,  is  the  very  time  that  we 
must  bestow  special  care  on  our  children  that  they  should  remain 
true  to  their  God,  and  that  our  work  upon  them  in  the  days  of 
infancy  and  childhood  be  not  in  vain.  Of  course,  we  can  not 
force  our  children  to  believe.  Faith  is  God's  work.  But  we  can 
and  should  lead,  exhort,  and  admonish  them  to  make  diligent  use 
of  the  means  of  grace  i)y  which  faith  is  })r(^duced  and  sustained. 
We  can  and  should  beseech  them,  entreat  them,  admonish  them, 
warn  them.  And  this  we  should  do  as  long  as  we  live,  even  when 
our  children  have  left  the  shelter  of  the  parental  roof. 

Parents  should  be  watchful  also  that  their  children  do  not  get 
into  bad  company  and  associate  with  such  as  will  harm  their  souls. 
We  read,  ''But  thiij,  supposhig  Him  to  have  been  in  the  company, 
went  a  da t/\s  Journey :  and  tlity  Konrjlit  Him  among  their  kin.sf'olk 
and  acquaintance.  And  ivhen  they  found  Him  not,  they  turned 
hack  again  to  Jerusalem ,  seeking  Him.''  When  the  Israelites  went 
to  a  feast  in  Jerusalem  from  remoter  cities  and  towns,  they  always 
went  in  large  caravans.  Such  a  caravan  had  been  made  up  at 
Nazareth.  Kinsmen  and  acquaintances  usually  ke})t  together,  and 
that  was  the  coin))any  to  which  »Tesus  kept  Himself.  His  i)arents 
knew  that  they  could  safely  entrust  Him  to  that  company,  and 
so  they  were  not  disturbed  when  they  did  not  see  Him  on  leaving 
Jerusalem,  liut  when  the  caravan  halted  and  preparations  were 
being  made  to  encami)  for  the  night,  the}'  missed  their  boy  and 
hastened  back  to  Jerusalem.  Now,  as  the  parents  of  Jesus  watched 
over  their  child,  how  much  the  more  should  all  parents  keep  watch 
over  their  children  and  see  that  they  do  not  get  into  bad  company  I 
.lesus'  pai'ents  knew  that  their  boy  would  do  no  wrong.  But  how 
is  it  with  our  children?  How  easily  are  they  misled  !  How  easily 
do  they  fall  a  prey  to  the  temptations  with  which  they  are  being 
beset !  Indeed,  Christian  parents  can  not  be  careful  enough  about 
the  company  of  their  children.  They  should  not  let  their  children 
associate;  with  every Ixxly  that  conies  along.     They  should  make 


FIRST    EPIPHANY.  65 

sure  of  it  that  the  good  seed  which  they  have  sown  in  their  cliil- 
dren's  hearts  be  not  trodden  down,  and  not  permit  them  to  malce 
friends  with  such  as  seduce  them  into  sin  and  vice.  This  is  the 
care  which  parents  should  bestow  on  their  children. 

11. 

Our  Gospel  contains  a  lesson  on  parental  authority  also.  We 
read,  ^^And  it  came  fo2)asfi,  that  offer  three  days  they  found  Him 
in  the  temple,  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors,  both  hearing  them, 
and  asking  them  questions.  And  all  that  heard  Him  were  aston- 
ished at  His  understanding  and  ansioers.  And  icJien  they  saw  Him, 
they  were  amazed:  and  His  mother  said  unto  Him,  Son,  why  hast 
Thou  thus  dealt  ivith  us?  behold.  Thy  father  und  I  have  sought 
Tliee  sorroiving.''  These  words  of  Mary  were  evidently  meant 
for  a  rebuke.  They  can  not  be  explained  in  any  other  wa}'.  The 
poor  mother  had  worried  over  her  lost  child,  and  had  suffered  a 
great  deal  for  three  days.  And  now  that  she  finds  Him  at  last, 
she  means  to  let  Him  know  that  she  is  His  mother  and  censures 
Him  for  all  the  grief  and  sorrow  she  had  to  bear  on  His  account. 
This  censure  would  have  been  in  the  right  place,  if  Jesus  had 
done  wrong  and  had  not  been  the  Son  of  God.  As  the  Son  of 
God  He  had  to  be  about  His  Father's  business,  and  His  mother's 
authority  did  not  exceed  the  authority  of  His  heavenly  Father. 

It  is  quite  a  different  thing  with  other  parents.  God  Him- 
self has  established  the  authority  of  parents  over  their  children. 
When  God  says,  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,"  this  im- 
plies that  your  father  and  mother  are  your  superiors,  that  they 
stand  above  you,  and  that  you  must  obey  them.  Parents,  there- 
fore, do  perfectly  right  when  they  rebuke  and  censure  their  chil- 
dren for  the  wrongs  which  they  do,  and  when  they  punish  them 
for  their  wickedness.  They  must  do  that.  They  are  commanded 
to  do  it.  Does  not  God  say  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  "With- 
hold not  correction  from  the  child:  for  if  thou  beatest  him  with 
the  rod,  he  shall  not  die.  Thou  shalt  beat  him  with  the  rod,  and 
shalt  deliver  his  soul  from  hell"?  In  our  days  there  is  a  o-row- 
ing  sentiment  among  })arents  to  let  the  children  have  their  own 
way,  not  to  punish  them  for  their  wrongs,  and  simply  to  tell  them 
that  it  is  for  their  own  detriment  if  they  do  wrong.  Children 
brought  up  in  that  way  soon  trample  upon  their  parents  and  do 


66  FIIJST    El'lI'MANV, 

what  they  please,  irrespective  of  anybody.  Parents  who  really 
love  their  children  will  and  must  exercise  their  authority  and 
make  their  children  understand  tiiat  they  must  obey.  They  will 
mould  the  characters  of  their  children  and  train  them  to  be  good 
men  and  women  in  future  years.  They  will  bend  the  tree  while 
it  is  young,  so  that  it  might  grow  up  to  the  joy  and  to  the  de- 
licrht  of  others. 

o 

And  as  the  parents  should  exercise  their  authority,  so  are 
the  children  required  to  submit  to  this  parental  authority.  We 
see  this  in  the  exami)le  of  Jesus,  of  Avhom  the  end  of  our  Gos- 
pel says,  '■'•And  lie  went  down  with  them,  and  came  to  Xazareth^ 
and  was  Kuhject  to  tht-m:  hut  His  mother  l-ept  all  these  sayings 
in  her  heart.  And  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and 
in  favor  with  God  and  man."  The  heavenly  Child,  the  Son  of 
God,  was  subject  to  His  earthly  parents,  that  is.  He  submitted 
to  their  authority.  Though  He  was  God,  and,  therefore,  stood 
above  them,  He  did  not  make  use  of  His  divine  authority.  He 
did  not  exhibit  Himself  as  their  superior.  No,  He  obeyed,  that 
in  all  things  He  might  be  like  as  we.  What  a  fine  example  for 
children  !  If  the  eternal  Son  of  God  obeyed  His  earthly  parents, 
He  who  was  not  subject  to  anybody,  how  much  the  more  should 
Christian  children  walk  in  obedience,  and  do  all  they  can  to 
serve  their  parents !  Children,  you  can  never  repay  your  father 
and  mother  for  what  they  did  for  you.  The  sleepless  nights, 
the  care  and  worry,  the  attention  paid  to  your  mortal  bodies 
and  to  your  immortal  souls,  these  arc  things  for  which  you  can 
never  give  your  parents  an  adequate  compensation.  Ol)ey  your 
parents,  then;  hold  them  in  love  and  esteem  as  long  as  they  live. 
A  Christian  child,  even  when  already  advanced  in  years,  will  not 
undertake;  an  important  step  without  consulting  the  parents  and 
seeking  their  advice.  And  if  thus  you  honor  your  father  and 
iiiotlicr,  you  will  not  oidy  inherit  the  })romise  of  the  fourth  com- 
niandincnt  that  you  shall  live  long  upon  the  earth,  ])ut  you  will 
increase  also,  as  Jesus  did,  in  favor  with  God  and  man.  Both 
God  and  men  are  pleased  with  a  child  that  shows  obedience  to 
the  parents. 

Finally,  my  friends,  can  we  parents  say  that  we  always  did 
our  duty  to  the  children  whom  (lod  entrusted  to  our  care?  And 
can   the   children   say   that    they   always    obeyed    their   parents? 


SECOND    KIM  I'll  AW.  67 

No;  in  this  respect,  also,  we  must  admit  that  we  are  sinners. 
Let  us  look  for  forgiveness  to  Him  who  became  man  for  us,  was 
a  child  for  us,  lived  upon  this  earth  for  us,  and  died  on  the  cross 
for  our  salvation.  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God, 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin,"  and  as  He  was  raised  from  the  dead 
by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  so  should  we  also  walk  in  newness 
of  life.  Let  us  look  to  Him  for  strength,  and  He  will  enable  us 
to  walk  in  His  commandments  to  the  glory  of  His  holy  name. 
Amen. 


SECOND  EPIPHANY. 


John  2,  1— 11. 

And  the  third  day  there  was  a  marriage  iu  Cana  of  Galilee ;  and  the  mother 
■of  Jesus  was  there:  and  both  Jesus  was  called,  and  his  disciples,  to  the  mar- 
riage. And  when  they  wanted  wine,  the  mother  of  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  They 
have  no  wine.  Jesus  saith  unto  her.  Woman,  wiiat  have  I  to  do  with  thee? 
mine  hour  is  not  yet  come.  His  mother  saith  unto  the  servants.  Whatsoever 
he  saith  unto  you,  do  it.  And  there  were  set  there  six  waterpots  of  stone,  after 
the  manner  of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews,  containing  two  or  three  firkins  apiece. 
Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Fill  the  waterpots  witli  water.  And  tliey  filled  them 
up  to  the  brim.  And  he  saith  unto  tiiem.  Draw  out  now,  and  bear  unto  the 
governor  of  the  feast.  And  they  bare  it.  When  the  ruler  of  the  feast  had  tasted 
the  water  that  was  made  wine,  and  knew  not  whence  it  was :  (but  the  servants 
which  di-ew  the  water  knew;)  the  governor  of  the  feast  called  the  bridegroom, 
and  saith  unto  him.  Every  man  at  the  beginning  doth  set  forth  good  wine;  and 
when  men  have  well  drunk,  then  that  which  is  worse :  but  thou  liast  kept  the 
good  wine  until  now.  This  begiiniiug  of  miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee, 
and  manifested  forth  his  glory;  and  his  disciples  believed  on  him. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

In  our  Gospel  we  find  the  Lord  Jesus  at  a  wedding.  Wed- 
ding day  is  always  a  day  of  rejoicing.  But  in  the  holy  state  of 
matrimony  two  kinds  of  days  are  to  be  expected,  days  of  pros- 
perity and  days  of  adversity.  And  there  are  two  kinds  of  mar- 
ried couples,  such  as  are  never  truly  happy,  even  in  the  da3^s  of 
prosperity,  and  such  as  are  always  happy,  even  in  the  days  of 
adversity. 

Unhappy  are  those  who  have  not  Jesus  w'ith  them,  who  do 
not  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  refuse  to  admit  Him  to  their 
home.     Let  such  a  married  couple  be  apparently  ever  so  happy  ; 


^$  tiECONU    I:J'I1>HANY. 

let  thoni  love  each  other  ever  so  fervently;  let  them  possess 
health,  and  wealtii,  and  beauty;  let  them  be  free  from  want  and 
siekness  and  sorrow  and  trouble  of  any  kind,  and  fare  sump- 
tuously every  day  —  they  are  poor,  miserable,  unhapi)y,  after 
all,  even  in  such  days  of  prosperity.  "There  is  no  i)eaee  unto 
the  wicked,"  says  the  Word  of  God,  and  Ood's  Word  must  be 
true.  There  is  no  peace  unto  them,  no  peace  with  God.  Their 
hearts  resemble  the  troubled  sea.  The  accusations  of  their  own 
conscience  are  never  at  rest,  and  the  consequence  is,  they  are 
miserable,  even  in  the  midst  of  joy  and  plenty. 

liut  there  are  also  days  of  adversity  for  those  married  couples 
that  do  not  admit  Jesus  to  their  homes.  Be  they  ever  so  for- 
tunate in  this  life,  as  far  as  mutual  affection,  health,  and  wealthy 
and  social  standing  is  concerned,  they  are  not  exempt  from  the 
cross  which  God  has  laid  on  the  matrimonial  state.  They  must 
bear  their  share  of  it.  And  oh  !  how  dreadful  are  the  homes  of 
the  wicked  when  mutual  love  should  cease  to  exist  between  man 
and  wife,  when  misfortunes  come,  when  poverty  sets  in,  when 
want  is  felt,  when  they  bt^gin  to  disagree  and  to  quarrel  !  Then 
there  may  be  divorce  suits  and  social  scandals  ;  or  even  nuirder 
and  suicide  may  sever  the  union  from  which  the  Lord  Jesus  had 
been  excluded. 

Quite  a  different  place  is  the  home  of  a  truly  Christian  mar- 
ried couple,  of  a  couple  that  had  invited  Jesus  to  their  wedding, 
and  then  retains  Jesus  with  them  during  all  the  days  of  its  married 
life.  There  the  words  of  the  Psalm  are  being  made  true :  "Blessed 
is  every  one  that  feareth  the  Lord;  that  walketh  in  His  ways. 
For  thou  shalt  eat  the  labor  of  thine  hands:  happy  shalt  thou  be,, 
and  it  shall  be  well  with  thee." 

Now  in  our  Gospel  we  are  told  of  such  a  couple  that  invited 
Jesus  to  their  wedding,  and  it  is  shown  how  well  they  fared  hav- 
ing Jesus  with  them.  Let  us,  therefore,  consider  with  the  aid  of 
God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THE  BLESSEDNESS  OF  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  JESUS  WITH  THEM 
L\  THE  MATRIMONIAL  STATE. 

Their  blessedness 

I.   ///  f/ii  (l(ii/s  of  prosperit  1/ ,  and  •• 

IL   hi  tin  (hii/s  of  (idvemity . 


SECOiND    EPIPHANY.  69 

I. 

We  read,  ^^And  the  third  day  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana 
of  Galilee ;  and  the  mother  of  Jesus  was  there.  And  both  Jesus 
was  called^  and  His  disciples,  to  the  marriage.'"  Groom  and  bride, 
most  likely,  were  Christ's  own  relations,  because,  as  we  are  told, 
'■'tlie  mother  of  Jesus  was  there.'"  But  not  for  this  reason  did 
John  the  Evangelist  hand  down  to  posterity  this  narrative,  because 
Jesus'  mother  was  there,  but  because  Jesus  Himself  was  there 
and  His  disciples.  As  the  context  shows,  Jesus  had  shortly  be- 
fore been  baptized  in  the  river  Jordan,  had  just  entered  upon  His 
public  oflSce,  and  chosen  several  disciples.  As  yet  He  had  not 
performed  a  miracle,  for  we  read  at  the  end  of  our  Gospel,  "  TJiis 
beginning  of  miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  mani- 
fested forth  His  glory ;  and  His  disciples  believed  on  Him."  Still, 
though  Christ  had  just  entered  u})oii  His  pul)Iic  office  to  teach  the 
people.  He  does  not  decline  the  invitation  to  that  marriage.  He 
honors  the  young  couple  with  His  presence  and  thereby  adds  to 
their  joy.  From  the  account  given  in  our  Gospel  we  perceive 
that  Jesus  was  considered  the  most  distino^uished  jjuest  at  this 
wedding.  He  is  honored  above  all  and  by  all.  He  is  the  center 
of  the  group,  and  He  it  was  that  brought  happiness  into  the  home 
of  the  newly  married  couple. 

Behold,  then,  the  blessedness  of  those  who  have  Jesus  with 
them  in  the  matrimonial  state  !  Behold  their  blessedness  in  the 
days  of  prosperity  !  They  love  Jesus  and  Jesus  loves  them,  and, 
O,  what  blessedness  is  there  in  the  love  of  Jesus  !  What  blessed- 
ness for  man  and  wife  to  know,  Jesus  is  present  with  us  in  our 
home,  and  if  it  were  ever  so  lowly  a  place;  He  is  our  Friend, 
our  Guide,  our  Savior  and  Redeemer !  Be  their  days  ever  so  fair 
and  their  joys  ever  so  great,  there  is  no  earthly  jo}',  no  earthly 
pleasure  to  eclipse  the  Sun  of  Life  which  illuminates  their  path 
and  directs  them  where  to  go — Jesus  and  His  love.  All  their 
treasures  and  worldly  possessions  they  value  for  naught,  if  thrown 
into  the  scales  against  Jesus,  the  Lover  of  their  souls ;  so  much 
do  they  love  Him.  Jesus  it  is  whom  they  consult  when  about  to 
enter  into  the  matrimonial  state.  They  take  it  to  the  Lord  in 
prayer,  and  ask  Him  for  wisdom  and  prudence  in  the  selection 
of  their  partner  with  whom  they  are  to  be  united  for  life.  They 
are  careful  not  to  be  deceived  by  wealth,  beauty,  and  prominence. 


70  SKfOND    Kl'Il'HAXY. 

They  do  not  form  a  ln'tiotlial  sec  rctly,  against  their  parents'  will, 
and  takr  heed  not  to  transgress  the  commandment  which  says, 
"Honor  thy  father  and  tiiy  mother."  They  enter  into  the  holy 
state  of  matrimony  with  a  clear  conscience,  so  that  Jesus  can  enter 
with  them  into  their  homes  and  dwell  with  them. 

And  still  more  is  their  blessedness  enhanced  by  praising  Jesus. 
Thev  not  on!}'  love,  they  also  praise  Jesus,  and  to  praise  Jesus  is 
not  an  arduous  task  for  them,  but  pleasant  work.  The  days  of 
prosperity  are  the  most  dangerous  for  a  Christian  couple.  In  such 
days  God  is  easily  forgotten,  and  we  are  apt  to  turn  to  the  world 
and  to  its  evil  lusts.  But  a  Christian  couple  will  practice  what 
the  Psalm  says,  "Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all 
His  benefits!"  A  Christian  couple  will  adopt  for  its  own  and 
live  up  to  the  motto  of  Joshua,  "As  for  me  and  my  house,  we 
will  serve  the  Lord."  They  will  neglect  neither  their  daily  prayers 
nor  tiie  reading  of  the  Scriptures.  They  will  not  permit  anuise- 
ments  or  worldly  enjoyments  to  keep  them  away  from  the  house 
of  God,  while  the  Word  of  God  is  being  preached.  They  will 
make  it  a  point  to  come  regularly  to  the  Lord's  Supper.  If  their 
union  is  blessed  with  children,  they  will  have  their  little  ones  bap- 
tized according  to  Christ's  command,  "Suffer  the  little  children 
to  come  unto  Me,"  and  will  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord.  "When  their  children  are  of  age  and  leave 
the  i)arental  roof,  they  will  watch  them  carefully,  so  that  they  do 
not  go  astray,  but  remain  with  Christ,  and  walk  the  path  that 
leads  to  etei'nal  life.  Their  most  intimate  friends  and  associates 
they  will  not  seek  among  intidels  and  godless  people,  but  among 
those  who  confess  the  Lord  Jesus.  If  the  Lord  God  grants  them 
riches,  they  will  neither  scpumder  what  they  have,  and  thus  abuse 
the  gifts,  nor  will  they  drift  into  the  vice  of  avarice  and  make 
manunon  their  god.  They  will  ahyays  be  willing  to  help  the  poor 
and  distressed,  and  to  aid  in  spreading  God's  kingdom. 

What  blessedness  of  such  couples  in  the  days  of  prosperitj^ ! 
Jesus  is  their  joy,  their  treasure,  their  soul's  delight.  They 
always  realize  that  it  is  Jesus  whom  they  have  to  thank  for  all 
they  are  enjoying.  By  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  they  have  peace 
with  (iod,  and  their  conscience  is  at  rest.  They  know  that  their 
sins  are  all  forgiven  through  Jesus'  blood  and  merits,  and  that 
for  .b>us"   sake  (iod  looks  down  upon  them  as  if  they  had  no 


SECOND    EPIPHANY.  71 

sin,  looks  upon  them  as  a  loving  father  upon  his  dear  children. 
O  how  nuich  more  do  the}'  enjoy  the  da3's  of  prosperity  than  un- 
believers, who  know  not  what  it  is  to  be  joyful  in  the  Lord  and 
to  be  perfectly  contented  !  How  much  easier  for  a  true  Christian 
couple  to  be  pleased  with  what  little  they  possess  than  for  un- 
believers who  restlessly  crave  for  more  and  labor  under  the  de- 
lusion that  money,  riches,  wealth  is  the  source  of  true  happiness  ! 
If  God  grants  them  more  than  they  need,  a  Christian  couple  will 
praise  him  for  it  and  make  good  use  of  their  possessions  ;  but 
content  they  will  be  with  food  and  raiment. 

One  thing  in  particular  adds  to  their  blessedness  in  the  days 
of  prosperity.  They  know  that  God  is  pleased  with  them,  even 
as  the  Lord  Jesus  was  pleased  with  the  newly  married  couple  at 
Cana.  They  know  that  their  marriage  is  honorable  and  pleasing 
to  God.  And  so  are  all  their  works  pleasing  unto  the  Lord. 
When  the  husband  toils  and  labors  in  the  sweat  of  his  face,  or 
when  the  wife  does  her  humble  housework,  those  are  all  sood 
works,  better  works  than  the  prayers  and  fasting  of  all  the  monks 
and  nuns  in  the  world,  and  God  will  reward  them  in  heaven. 
So  much  about  the  days  of  prosperity. 

IL 

But  there  are  also  days  of  adversity  in  the  matrimony  of 
God's  children,  and  since  they  have  Jesus  with  them  always,  He 
is  with  them  in  the  days  of  adversity  also,  and  blessedness  does 
not  leave  them. 

In  our  Gospel  Ave  are  told  that  '■Hhey  had  no  wine.'"  Want 
was  felt  on  the  very  first  day  of  the  union  of  this  couple.  Jesus' 
mother  informs  the  Lord  of  their  want,  and  He  says  to  her, 
'■'■Woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee?  Mine  hour  is  not  yet 
come.'"  This  was  a  rebuke,  and  from  it  we  see  that  Mary  must 
have  said  something  that  was  out  of  place.  She  had  no  right 
to  interpose  in  this  matter.  But  she  took  the  reproof  very  sub- 
missively, and  said  to  the  servants,  ^^  Whatsoever  He  saith  unto 
you,  do  it."  Hereupon  Jesus  ordered  them  to  fill  the  six  water- 
pots  set  there  for  the  purifying,  and  containing  a  number  of 
gallons  each,  with  water,  and  without  any  ceremony,  simply  by 
His  will.  He  turned  the  water  into  wine,  and  into  wine  of  the 
best  quality.     For  we  read,  ^^When  the  rider  of  the  feast  had 


72  SECOND    F.ril'HANV. 

tasted  the  iratcr  that  was  made  vnne,  and  knew  not  whence  it 
was  (hut  tht  sn-vanfs  which  drew  the  imter  knew),  the  governor 
of  the  feast  called  the  bridegroom,  and  saith  unto  him.  Every 
man  at  the  beginning  doth  set  forth  good  ivine;  and  when  men 
have  well  drunk,  then  that  lohich  is  worse:  hut  thou  hast  kept 
the  good  wine  iintil  nowS' 

Now  jis  there  was  want  in  the  house  in  Cana,  so  must  all 
Christian  couples  meet  times  of  affliction.  There  are  the  days  of 
advcrsitv,  the  days  of  which  we  say,  AVe  like  them  not.  There 
arc  the  davs  of  ilhicss,  when  we  must  cope  with  diseases,  and 
all  our  jov  is  turned  into  sadness,  or  when  death  comes  and  we 
are  overwliclmed  with  grief  and  sorrow  to  see  those  depart  from 
us  whom  we  loved  so  dearly.  Again  there  are  days  of  actual 
want,  when  the  husband  is  out  of  work,  or  wdien  the  wages  are 
so  poor  that  it  is  impossible  to  make  both  ends  meet.  At  such 
times  a  Christian  couple  may  be  tempted  to  fear  for  the  future 
and  to  exclaim,  "What  shall  we  eat?  or,  What  shall  we  drink? 
or.  Wherewithal  shall  we  be  clothed?"  Then  again  there  is,  per- 
haps, a  special  cross  which  a  Christian  couple  must  bear,  ill-will 
on  the  j)art  of  others,  persecution,  losses.  Sometimes  their  own 
children  will  cause  trouble  and  create  days  of  adversity.  Even 
as  Abraham  had  a  godless  son,  Ishmael,  and  Adam  a  godless 
son,  Cain,  so  unto  this  day  a  disobedient  and  godless  child  may 
come  forth  from  a  true  Christian  family,  to  fill  the  hearts  of 
Christian  parents  witii  the  utmost  grief.  There  are  many  tribu- 
lations for  Christian  families  in  this  w^orld  of  sorrow\  Who  could 
enumerate  all  the  days  of  adversity? 

But  how  do  Christians  take  such  days  of  adversity?  Do 
they  chide  with  God  and  murmur  against  Him  because  He  per- 
mits misfortunes  to  come?  Do  husband  and  wife  rebuke  one 
another  and  curse  the  day  when  they  were  married,  and  wish  for 
a  divorce?  No;  like  Mary  in  our  Gospel,  they  will  tell  it  to 
the  Ijord  Jesus,  in  whose  name  they  entered  into  the  holy  state 
of  matrimony.  If  it  is  illness  or  want  which  they  suffer,  tliej' 
will  in  >\\e\\  distress  call  upon  their  almight}^  Savior  for  help,  and 
will  rest  assured  that  He  will  procure  for  them,  when  His  hour 
is  conn',  all  that  they  need,  and  that  He  will  never  leave  nor  for- 
sake thciu.  It"  it  is  some  special  cross  whicli  they  must  bear, 
they  will  apply  to  llini  who  said,  "Conu'  unto  ]Me,  all  ye  that 


THIKD    EPIPHANY.  73 

labor,  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  3'^ou  rest."  If  they 
get  into  such  straits  and  conditions  as  to  make  them  feel  at  loss 
what  to  do,  they  will  consult  Jesus  and  do  what  He  tells  them  in 
His  Word,  in  the  Scriptures. 

O  the  blessedness  of  Christians  even  in  the  days  of  adver- 
sity !  Unbelievers  find  no  comfort,  no  consolation  in  such  days. 
They  must  sullenly  endure  their  misery  and  know  of  no  helper. 
What  glorious  privilege  of  a  Christian  husband  and  wife,  that  in 
every  distress,  in  every  affliction  and  tribulation  they  can  appeal 
to  their  God  and  Savior  and  say  to  Him,  Lord,  such  and  such  is 
my  trouble,  help  me,  deliver  me  !  And,  verily,  they  shall  not 
ask  Him  in  vain.  He  is  to-day  the  same  that  He  was  in  times  of 
old,  just  as  loving,  and  merciful,  and  powerful,  and  mighty  to 
deliver  us  from  all  evil.  And  if  at  times  He  does  suffer  us  to 
shed  many  tears  and  to  pass  through  many  evil  days,  it  must  be 
for  our  own  good,  and  we  will  submit  to  His  will.  But  when 
His  hour  is  come.  He  will  rescue  us  from  all  misery  and  turn  our 
sadness  into  joy  and  gladness. 

Let  us  always  remain  with  Jesus,  and  keep  Jesus  with  us,  at 
our  fireside,  both  in  the  days  of  prosperity  and  adversity  wdiich 
fall  to  our  lot  in  the  matrimonial  state,  and  we  shall  experience 
the  truth  of  the  words  in  the  Psalm,  "O  Lord  of  hosts,  blessed 
is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  Thee."     Amen. 


THIRD  EPIPHANY. 


Matt.  8,  1—13. 

Wheu  he  was  come  down  from  the  mountaiUj  great  multitudes  folloAved 
him.  Aud,  behold,  there  came  a  leper  and  worshiped  liim,  saying,  Lord,  if 
thou  wilt,  thou  canst  maiie  me  clean.  And  Jesus  put  forth  his  hand,  and 
touched  him,  saying,  I  will;  be  thou  clean.  And  immediately  his  leprosy  w'as 
cleansed.  And  Jesus  saith  unto  him.  See  thou  tell  no  man;  but  go  thy  way, 
shew  thyself  to  the  priest,  and  offer  the  gift  that  Moses  commanded,  for  a  tes- 
timony unto  them.  And  when  Jesus  was  entered  into  Capernaum,  there  came 
unto  him  a  centurion,  beseecliiug  him,  and  saying.  Lord,  my  servant  lietli  at 
home  sick  of  tlie  palsy,  grievously  tormented.  And  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  I  will 
come  and  lieal  liim.  Tlie  centurion  answered  and  said,  Lord,  I  am  not  Avortliy 
that  thou  shouldest  come  under  my  roof:  but  speal<  the  word  only,  and  my 
servant  shall  be  healed.  For  I  am  a  man  under  authority,  having  soldiers 
under  me:    and  I  say  to  this  man.  Go,  and  he  goetli;   and  to  another,  Come, 


74  THIKD    El'Il'HANY. 

and  he  cometh;  and  to  my  senant,  Do  this,  and  he  doeth  it.  When  Jesus  heard 
it.  he  maneied,  and  said  to  them  tliat  followed,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  have 
not  found  so  ^reat  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel.  And  I  say  unto  you.  That  many  shall 
come  from  the  east  and  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac, 
anil  Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Hut  the  children  of  the  kinijdom  shall  l)e 
cast  out  into  outer  darkness:  there  shall  be  weepins  and  gnasliinji  of  teeth. 
And  Jesus  said  unto  the  centurion.  Go  thy  way;  and  as  thou  hast  believed, 
so  be  it  done  unto  thee.     And  his  servant  was  liealed  in  the  selfsame  hour. 

Beloved  Fimknds  in  Ciihist  : 

The  great  central  theme  of  our  Gospel  is  faith,  faith  illus- 
trated both  ill  the  leper  and  in  the  centurion.  The  climax  is 
reached  when  Jesus  exclaims,  "  Vevily  I  say  unto  you,  I  have 
not  found  so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel.^' 

The  unbelieving:  children  of  this  world  have  no  true  notion 
of  faith.  Ask  them,  and  what  will  they  say?  Some  of  them 
will  tell  you,  Faith  is  but  a  mask  which  Christians  wear  upon 
their  face.  They  put  on  a  pious  outward  appearance,  pray,  go  to 
church,  talk  religion,  and  all  this  they  do  to  some  seltish  purpose. 
They  are  far  from  tj'uly  believing  the  alleged  faith  which  they 
profess  ;  and  the  very  sins  which  they  openly  condemn  in  others 
thev  commit  themselves  in  secret.  This  class  of  unbelievers 
looks  upon  all  Christians  as  hypocrites.  Others,  again,  among 
the  unbelieving  children  of  this  world  will  tell  you.  Faith  is  a 
sort  of  a  mental  disease,  an  illusion  formed  in  the  mind.  Though 
there  ])e  many  hypocrites  among  the  Christians,  3'et  they  are  not 
all  such.  There  arc  some  who  really  believe  what  the  Bible 
says,  and  imagine  it  were  all  true,  contrary  to  the  simplest  prin- 
ciples of  common  sense.  And  this  illusion  will  sometimes  get 
such  a  strong  hold  u[)()n  them  as  to  cause  religious  fanaticism 
and  even  in.sanity.  This  second  class  of  unbelievers  looks  upon 
the  Christians,  as  if  they  were  men  with  an  unbalanced  mind. 
And  there  is  a  third  class  of  unl)elievers  who,  if  you  ask  them 
their  opinion  on  faith,  will  smile  and  say.  Why  do  you  make 
such  a  jjreat  ado  about  faith?  What  good  does  faith  do?  Let 
a  man  believe  ever  so  much  and  ever  so  sincerely,  what  does  that 
benefit  him  or  others?  Faith,  rightly  looked  at,  is  nothing  but 
an  altogether  useless  act  in  the  mind  ;  and  you  Christians  expect 
to  get  to  heaven  by  faith.     AN'hat  foolishness  I 

Snch  arc  the  opinions  of  the  children  of  this  world.  They 
have  not  the  least   idea  of  what  faith  is.     They  speak  of  faith 


THIRD    EPIPHANY.  75 

as  a  blind  man  would  speak  of  colors.  And  is  this  to  be  won- 
dered at?  Does  not  the  Word  of  God  say,  "The  natural  man 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  :  for  they  are  fool- 
ishness unto  him"?  Oh,  if  such  men  would  only  taste  of  faith 
themselves  and  experience  for  themselves  what  faith  is,  they 
would  know  whereof  they  speak,  and  they  would  no  longer 
speak  as  they  now  speak.  But  Christians,  too,  are  in  need  of 
constant  enlightenment  on  the  nature  of  faith.  Our  Gospel 
points  out  the  foundation  on  which  true  faith  is  built,  and  also 
tells  of  the  fruits  of  such  faith.  The  subject  of  our  discourse 
shall  be  ^\^th  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

TRUE  FAITH'S  FOUNDATION  AND  FRUITS. 
I.  Its  foundation,  and 
II.  Its  fruits. 

I. 

On  what  did  the  leper  in  our  Gospel  rest  his  faith  ?  We  are 
told,  "  When  He  was  come  doimi  from  the  mountain,  great  mul- 
titudes followed  Him.  And,  behold,  there  came  a  leper  and  xoor- 
shiped  Him,  saying.  Lord,  if  Thou  wilt,  TJiou  canst  make  me 
clean.''  Here  we  must  observe  that  the  leper  is  not  praying  for 
a  spiritual  gift,  but  for  a  temporal  blessing.  He  is  not  asking 
for  forgiveness  of  sin  and  the  grace  of  God,  but  for  the  removal 
of  his  leprosy.  Jesus  had  just  delivered  His  great  sermon  on  the 
mount,  and  the  leper  had  probably  stood  from  afar  and  heard 
the  sermon,  because  the  law  did  not  permit  him  to  approach 
others  on  account  of  his  loathsome  contagious  disease.  But 
when  Jesus  came  down  from  the  mount,  the  poor  man  was 
bold  enough  to  walk  right  up  to  the  Lord,  to  fall  down  before 
Him,  burying  his  face  in  the  dust,  and  to  utter  the  request : 
^'Lord,  if  Thou  loilt.  Thou  canst  make  me  clean.''  Mark  well 
how  he  submits  to  the  Lord's  will,  teaching  us  by  his  example 
that,  if  ever  we  ask  for  a  temporal  gift,  we  should  leave  it  to 
the  Lord  to  deal  with  us  according  to  His  good  pleasure.  Doubt- 
less the  leper  knew  that  man  is  sometimes  afflicted  with  some 
temporal  evil  for  the  sake  of  his  own  welfare,  and  so  he  did 
not  venture  to  ask  for  the  cleansing  of  his  leprosy  without  affix- 
ing the  condition:  '■'•Lord,  if  Thou  wilt."  He  meant  to  say. 
Thou  knowest  better  than  I  do,  O  Lord,  whether  or  not  it  will 


7(j  TIIIUD    P:i'irHANV. 

1)0  profitable  for  mc  to  be  made  rid  of  this  loathsome  disease, 
but  a.s  for  Tliv  ability  to  heal  me,  I  do  not  doubt  that  for  one 
moment  ;  if  Thou  wilt  only,  Thou  canst  make  me  clean.  On 
what,  then,  did  the  le[)er  rest  his  faith?  On  Christ,  His  good 
and  <n-aeious  will  and  His  almi(;hty  word.  He  desired  to  hear 
the  word  of  Christ  telling  him  that  he  should  be  clean,  and  he 
was  confident  that  instantly  his  leprosy  would  disappear,  if  Jesus 
only  spoke  the  word.  And  not  in  vain  did  he  entrust  himself  to 
the  Lord,  not  in  vain  did  he  rest  his  faith  on  Christ's  will  and 
word,  for  we  are  informed,  ^^And  Jeftiis  put  forth  His  Itcmd, 
and  touc/it'd  liiui,  sai/huj,  I  ivill;  he  thou  clean.  And  immedi- 
atehj  his  lejjrosij  ivas  tieanst^d.  And  Jesus  saith  unto  him.  See 
thou  tell  no  man;  but  go  tJiy  way,  sheiv  thyself  to  the  priest, 
and  offer  the  gift  that  Moses  commanded,  for  a  testimony 
unto  them." 

And  upon  what  did  the  centurion  in  our  Gospel  rest  his 
faith?  The  centurion  also  asked  for  a  temporal  gift.  We  read, 
*^And  7vhen  Jesus  was  entered  into  Capernaum,  there  came  unto 
llini  a  centurion,  htseecJiing  Him,  and  saying,  Lord,  my  servant 
lieth  at  home  sick  of  the  palsy ,  grievously  tormented."  And  when 
Jesus  answered  and  said,  ^^ I  will  come  and  heal  Jiim,"  what  was 
the  centurion's  reply?  "  The  centurion  answered  and  said.  Lord, 
I  am  not  loorthy  tluit  Thou  shouldest  come  under  my  roof:  hut 
.ywak  the  icord  only,  and  my  servant  shall  he  healed."  The  cen- 
turion docs  not  desire  a  sign,  he  does  not  desire  to  see  Jesus  lay 
His  hand  upon  the  sick  man.  He  does  not  even  deem  it  neces- 
sary for  Christ  to  come  into  the  house.  All  he  desires  is  to  hear 
Christ's  word.  Christ's  word  is  the  foundation  upon  which  his 
faith  rests,  Christ's  word  and  nothing  else.  Aye,  such  is  his  con- 
fidence in  Christ's  word  that  he  says,  ^'■For  I  am  a  man  under 
authority,  having  soldiers  under  me:  and  L say  to  this  man.  Go, 
ami  he  goctli ;  mid  to  another,  Come,  and  lie  comet h  :  and  to  nty 
srrrant.  Do  thin,  and  lie  docth  it."  He  evidently  means  to  say, 
I  am  a  man  imder  authority.  I  have  superiors  whom  1  must 
obey.  Yet  is  my  word  ol)eyed  by  those  that  are  subject  to  me. 
But  Thou  art  more  than  mortal  man.  Thou  art  the  Son  of  (iod, 
.subject  to  no  authority,  all  the  powers  in  heaven  are  subject  to 
Thee.  How  nuich  more,  then,  must  Thy  word  accomplish  what 
it  says  !     Thou  speakcst  and  it  is  done.     All  that   is  necessary  is 


TIIIHD    EPIl'HANV.  <  ( 

Thy  word,  and  my  servant's  disease  must  disappear.  And  to 
show  that  this  is  true  faith,  faith  as  it  shoukl  be,  namely  the 
faith  which  rests  on  no  other  foundation  than  Christ's  Word, 
our  Gospel  says,  "  When  Jesus  /leard  it,  He  marveled,  and  said 
to  tlieiu  that  foUoived,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  have  not  found 
so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel.  And  I  say  unto  you.  That 
many  shall  come  from  the  east  and  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with 
Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  But 
the  children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out  into  outer  darkness: 
there  shall  be  iveeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  And  Jesus  said 
unto  the  centurion,  Go  thy  way ;  and  as  thou  hast  believed,  so  be 
it  done  unto  thee.  And  his  servant  was  healed  in  the  selfsame 
hour.^'  The  faith  which  brings  deliverance  is  the  faith  that  rests 
on  the  foundation  of  Christ's  Word. 

Is  your  faith  resting  on  this  foundation,  my  hearer?  In  our 
days  thousands  of  Christians  claim  to  be  true  believers,  and  there 
is  no  sound  and  solid  basis  to  their  faith.  They  are  not  posi- 
tively sure  and  certain  about  the  things  which  they  believe. 
They  base  their  faith  on  their  own  reiDentance,  on  their  con- 
version, on  their  emotions,  on  their  feelings,  on  their  virtues, 
and  the  like.  There  are  those  who  say,  I  believe  that  I  am  a 
child  of  God,  for  I  did  repent  of  my  sins,  I  felt  truly  sorry  for 
having  sinned  against  God,  and  so  I  confidently  believe  that  in 
Christ  my  sins  are  forgiven.  Others  say,  I  believe  that  in  Christ 
I  am  saved,  for  my  own  heart  tells  me  so.  I  felt  the  wrath  of 
God  upon  me,  and  then  I  went  down  upon  my  knees  and  im- 
plored God  to  have  mercy  on  me,  and  behold,  my  fears  de- 
parted, my  soul  was  quickened,  a  voice  seemed  to  call  to  me. 
Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,  and  now  I  believe  that  I  have  made 
my  calling  and  election  sure.  Still  others  say,  I.  felt  my  misery 
and  m}'  wretchedness,  I  did  not  know  whither  to  flee  for  fear  of 
God's  anger  and  wrath.  But  then  I  began  to  pray  and  to  wrestle 
with  God,  and  I  continued  therein  night  and  day  until  the  Spirit 
of  God  came  into  my  soul,  and  I  felt  that  I  was  truly  converted. 
Then  I  could  shout  and  say.  Now  I  have  found  grace,  Jesus  is 
mine,  heaven  is  mine,  I  am  saved,  hallelujah  !  Others,  again, 
triumphantly  call  attention  to  the  wonderful  change  which  has 
come  upon  them,  and  expect  to  get  to  heaven  because  they  had 
amended  their  former  sinful  lives.      Formerly,   say  these,   we 


78  THllJD    EPirilANV. 

took  part  \n  the  vain  pleasures  of  this  world  and  indulged  in 
certain  sins,  hut  nt)\v  we  lead  an  altogether  different  life,  we 
read  the  Bihle,  we  pray,  we  go  to  church  ;  why,  then,  should 
we  not  ''et  to  heaven?  Finally,  there  are  such  as  claim  to  be  in 
favor  with  God  because  in  a  dream  or  in  a  vision  they  had  seen 
Jesus,  or  the  holv  angels,  or  had  otherwise  met  with  some  ex- 
traordinary experience,  assuring  them  of  the  grace  of  God,  the 
forLMveness  of  their  sins,  and  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 

All  these  foundations  of  faith  which  men  make  unto  them- 
selves are  like  the  quicksand  which  gives  way  under  the  feet. 
Woe  unto  those  who  rest  their  faith  on  their  own  repentance, 
for  our  repentance  is  always  imperfect  and  never  deserving  .of 
God's  '--race  !  Woe  unto  those  Avho  rely  upon  their  own  feel- 
ino-,  for  they  rely  ui)on  their  own  sinful  heart,  and  God  says, 
"lie  that  trustcth  in  his  own  heart  is  a  fool  !"  Woe  unto  those 
who  base  their  faith  on  certain  emotions  and  on  the  inward  tes- 
timony of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  for  that  testimony  may  not  always 
be  there  !  Woe  unto  those  who  believe  that  they  are  God's  chil- 
dren because  they  are  walking  in  newness  of  life,  for  even  the 
best  of  lives  is  damnable,  if  not  covered  with  the  robe  of  Christ's 
rijihteousness. 

The  onlv  foundation  upon  which  Christians  must  rest  their 
faith  is  Christ's  Word.  Whosoever  sim})ly  relies  upon  that  which 
God  has  spoken  in  Ilis  divine  Word,  in  the  Bible,  whosoever  be- 
lieves that  his  sins  are  forgiven,  and  that  he  shall  be  received 
into  heaven  for  no  other  reason  than  because  God  declared  in 
His  Word  that  all  men,  even  the  greatest  of  sinners,  are  recon- 
ciled with  God  for  the  sake  of  the  painful  suffering  and  bitter 
death  of  His  beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  through  His 
name  whosoever  bclieveth  in  Him  shall  receive  remission  of 
sins,  he  has  based  his  faith  on  the  true  and  everlasting  founda- 
tion on  which  alone  it  can  securely  rest.  For,  while  everything 
else,  repentance,  conversion,  feeling,  virtue,  is  unreliable,  the 
Word  of  (lod  is  truthful  and  can  never  fail.  Let  such  a  be- 
liever experience  nothing  but  God's  anger  and  wrath  and  feel  no 
joy  whatever,  let  him  suffer  tri))ulations,  and  afflictions,  and  per- 
secutions, let  Satan  direct  against  iiiin  his  darts,  in  the  very  face 
of  death,  the  \N'()i(l  of  (Jod  will  bear  him  through.     Nothing  can 

Do 

prevail  against  faith  resting  on  such  foundation. 


THIRD    EPIPHANY.  79 

II. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  briefly  consider  the 
fruits  which  the  faith  brings  forth  that  is  based  on  Christ's  ^^'ord. 

The  fruit  of  faith  is  love,  as  exemplilied  in  the  centurion's 
care  for  his  slave.  The  centurion,  literally,  a  captain  over  one 
hundred  soldiers,  was  not  a  Jew,  but  a  Roman.  As' a  rule,  these 
Roman  officials,  and  Roman  men  and  women  in  general,  cared 
very  little  for  the  welfare  of  their  slaves.  But  behold,  what  a 
sympathizing  master  true  faith  had  made  of  this  centurion.  He 
looks  after  his  servant  with  no  less  solicitude  than  he  would  de- 
vote to  his  own  child.  He  is  grieved  to  see  him  tormented  and 
writhing  with  pain.  He  does  all  in  his  power  to  allay  his  pains 
and  to  have  him  restored  to  health.  In  his  anxiety  he  applies  to 
the  Lord  for  his  slave.  That,  surely,  was  not  merely  a  trait  of 
his  noble  character,  but  the  fruit  of  his  faith. 

But  let  us  look  at  Luke's  account  and  we  shall  hear  still  more 
about  the  fruits  of  his  faith.  Luke  informs  us  that  the  centurion, 
deeming  himself  unworthy,  did  not  go  to  meet  the  Lord  in  person, 
but  at  first  sent  the  elders  of  the  Jews  to  beseech  Jesus  in  his 
behalf.  And  what  did  the  elders  say  about  the  centurion?  They 
said,  "He  is  worthy  for  whom  Thou  shouldest  do  this:  for  he 
loveth  our  nation,  and  he  hath  built  us  a  synagogue."  The  fruit 
of  his  faith  was,  then,  that  he  also  loved  God's  chosen  people, 
though  they  were  despised  and  held  in  contempt  by  the  Romans, 
and  to  show  them  his  appreciation  of  their  religion,  he  built  them 
a  synagogue,  a  house  of  worship,  where,  doubtless,  he  himself 
was  a  regular  attendant. 

Love  of  God  and  the  neighbor  is  another  fruit  which  invari- 
ably grows  upon  the  tree  of  that  faith  which  is  based  upon  the 
Word  of  God.  Unbelievers  and  enthusiasts  frequently  speak 
despicably  of  that  faith  which  rests  upon  the  Word  of  God  alone, 
and  claim  that  such  a  faith  were  a  dreary  thought  of  the  heart. 
But  they  know  not  of  what  they  speak.  For  if  anything  will 
change  man's  heart,  and  make  him  a  new  creature,  and  move  and 
urge  him  to  love  God  and  his  neighbor,  to  feed  the  hungred  and 
thirsty,  clothe  the  naked,  give  shelter  to  the  homeless,  and  to  do 
works  of  charity  without  ceasing,  it  is  that  faith  which  is  based 
upon  the  Word  of  God  alone.  Such  faith  is  God's  work  in  man, 
and  how  can  that  which  God  has  quickened  into  life  be  a  dead  and 


80  TlllUD    Kl'll'llAM. 

powerless  thinfr?  Rather  could  the  sun  be  without  light  or  the 
lire  without  warmth  than  true  faith  without  deeds  of  love.  But 
one  thiniT  must  well  be  borne  in  mind  here.  "While  the  unbelievers 
and  inaiiy  enthusiasts  make  a  great  show  and  display  of  what  they 
call  charity,  arranging  charity  balls  and  advertising  their  dona- 
tions, so  that  men  siiould  admire  their  generosity,  the  children  of 
God,  who  base  their  faith  on  the  Word  of  God  alone,  prefer  not 
to  let  the  left  hand  know  what  the  right  is  doing.  In  sincere 
humility  they  do  not  make  a  boast  of  their  sympathy  for  others 
and  of  the  great  good  which  they  do.  Quietly  they  bring  forth 
the  fruits  of  their  faith,  incessantly  and  without  murmuring, 
building  the  kingdom  of  God,  supi)orting  the  holy  ministry,  aid- 
ing those  that  are  in  need,  and,  in  general,  doing  good  unto  all 
men,  especially  unto  them  which  are  of  the  household  of  faith. 

Another  fruit  of  faith  is  ap})arent  both  in  the  leper  and  in 
till"  centurion.  It  is  true  humility  before  God  and  men.  The 
leper  yields  up  his  own  will  and  wisdom  to  Christ  and  His  will 
and  wisdom  and  goodness,  saying,  '•^Lord,  if  Thou  vnlt.'"'  And 
the  centurion  humbles  himself,  though  a  Roman  officer,  before  the 
Man  of  Nazareth  and  Son  of  God.  He  deems  himself  unworthy 
of  receiving  Jesus  in  his  house  and  extending  to  Him  his  hospi- 
tality. He  does  not  claim  at  Jesus'  hands  any  measure  according 
to  his  own  thoughts  or  desires,  but  leaves  the  manner  of  the  fulfill- 
ment of  his  petition  entirely  to  the  Lord.  This  was  not  a  fruit 
of  his  sinful  nature,  but  of  faith  engendered  in  him  by  the  Word 
of  God.  He,  who  would  otherwise  have  been  a  haughty  Roman 
officer,  was  thus  made  a  meek  and  huml)le  petitioner  before  the 
meek  and  humble  Nazarene.  And  thus  to-day  faith  makes  men 
meek  and  humble  who  would  by  nature  ])e  haughty  and  puffed 
up  with  pride.  Faith,  a  firm  reliance  upon  God's  grace  in  Christ 
Jesus,  disposes  the  believer  to  mercy,  to  sympathy  with  the  af- 
flicted, though  they  be  lowly,  as  was  the  centurion's  slave. 

There  are  still  other  fruits  of  faith  which  might  be  here 
enumerated.  But  let  this  suffice.  May  the  Lord  grant  us  all 
that  faith  which  is  based  on  the  Word  of  God  alone,  and  we  shall 
not  only  be  sure  of  our  faith,  but  also  l)ring  forth  the  blessed 
fruits  of  faith  and  never  grow  weary  in  welldoing.  May  He  grant 
us  tlii<  by  His  Holy  Spiiit  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  His  be- 
loved Son,  our  only  Mediator  and  Redeemer.     Amen. 


FOURTH    EPIPHANY.  81 

FOURTH  EPIPHANY. 


Matt.  8,  23—27. 

And  when  he  was  entered  into  a  ship,  his  disciples  followed  him.  And, 
behold,  there  arose  a  great  tempest  in  the  sea,  insomuch  that  the  ship  was 
covered  with  the  waves:  but  he  was  asleep.  And  his  disciples  came  to  him, 
and  awolve  him,  saying,  Lord,  save  us:  we  perish.  And  lie  saith  unto  them. 
Why  are  ye  fearful,  O  ye  of  little  faith?  Then  he  arose,  and  rebuked  tlie  winds 
and  the  sea;  and  there  was  a  great  calm.  But  the  men  marveled,  saying,  What 
manner  of  man  is  this,  that  even  the  winds  and  the  sea  obey  him! 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

Jesus  had  been  busily  engaged  all  day  preaching  and  heal- 
ing; the  sick.  There  was  such  a  vast  throno;  and  so  much  to 
attend  to,  He  had  not  found  time  to  eat.  When  night  came, 
the  people  still  remained,  and  all  that  Jesus  could  do  to  obtain 
rest  was  to  withdraw  from  them.  So  He  told  His  disciples  to 
have  a  boat  ready  that  He  might  cross  the  lake.  ^^And  ichen  He 
7vas  entered  info  a  shij),  His  discijiles  /oUowed  Ifhn.^'  Straight- 
way Jesus  made  for  the  stern  of  the  boat,  where  He  laid  down 
His  weary  head  on  an  improvised  pillow,  probably  made  of  a 
fisherman's  coat,  and,  worn  out  and  fatigued  as  He  was,  He  was 
soon  fast  asleep.  Out  went  the  frail  craft  upon  the  dangerous 
deep  in  the  black  night.  But  as  they  pushed  from  the  shore, 
there  was  not  the .  slightest  indication  of  any  impending  danger. 
Safely  did  the  boat  glide  along  driven  by  a  gentle  breeze.  They 
had  probably  reached  the  middle  of  the  lake,  when  suddenly, 
without  the  least  warning,  a  squall  was  upon  them.  ^'Behold, 
there  arose  a  great  tempest  in  the  sea,  insomuch  that  the  shij) 
was  covered  with  the  waves:  but  He  ivas  asleej).''  The  disciples 
were  fishermen.  They  knew  how  to  manage  a  boat.  They  had 
braved  many  a  storm  on  this  lake.  But  such  a  tempest  they, 
most  likely,  had  never  encountered  before.  They  lose  control 
of  the  ship.  It  is  tossed  upon  the  crest  of  the  waves  like  a  nut- 
shell. The  water  dashes  in  afore  and  aft,  much  faster  than  they 
can  bail  it  out.  It  dawns  upon  them  that  they  are  lost.  In  such 
a  tempest  there  is  no  escape.  The  boat  must  either  be  capsized 
or  swamped.  And  there  is  their  Master  with  them  in  the  boat, 
resting  in  sweet  repose,  so  fast  aslee})  as  not  to  be  aroused  by 


82  rOLirrii  ki'ii'iianv. 

all  the  noise  around  Him,  by  the  roaring  of  the  storm  and  the 
sphishing  of  the  angrv  waves,  and  by  all  the  jolting  and  buffet- 
ing caused  by  the  rocking  of  the  boat.  They  can  no  longer 
bear  it.  They  "came  to  Him^  and  awoke  Him,  saying.  Lord, 
save  us:  we  perisli.'''  St.  Mark  tells  us  that  in  their  fright  and 
frenzy  they  even  dared  to  censure  the  Lord,  saying  to  Him, 
♦'Master,  carest  Thou  not  that  we  perish?"  And  what  is  Jesus' 
answer?  "  IT/^y  are  ye  fearful,  0  ye  of  little  faith?'''  So  the 
great  fault  of  the  disciples  in  this  storm  was  that  they  were  of 
little  faith,  that  their  faith  was  not  what  it  should  have  been, 
that  their  faith  was  weak.  And  this  shall  be  our  subject  to-day 
with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit.  Having  shown  you  last  Sun- 
day an  example  of  strong  faith,  let  me  speak  to  you  to-day  of 

THE  WEAK  FAITH, 
and  explain, 

I.   That  the  iveak  faith  differs  from  unbelief,  but 

H.    That  weakness  of  faith  is  a  dangerous  thing. 

I. 

The  disciples  did  not  call  upon  Jesus  in  vain,  "//e  arose^ 
and  rebuked  the  winds  and  the  sea ;  and  fhe-re  was  a  great  calm.''' 
The  manner  in  which  He  rebuked  the  winds  and  the  sea  is  de- 
scribed by  St.  Mark.  "He  said  unto  the  sea.  Peace,  be  still, 
and  the  wind  ceased."  In  an  instant  the  tempest  was  hushed. 
The  sea  lay  before  them  in  its  wide  expanse  as  smooth  as  glass, 
while  a  serene  sky  was  overhead.  So  astonishing  was  this  mir- 
acle that  "///r  men.  marveled,  saying.  What  manner  of  man  is 
this,  that  even  the  ivinds  and  the  sea  obey  Ilimf 

Hut  Jesus  not  only  shows  that  He  is  the  Lord  of  nature, 
whom  even  the  winds  and  the  sea  must  obey.  He,  at  the  same 
time,  reproves  His  disciples,  saying  to  them,  "O  ye  of  little 
faith  !"  He  means  to  say,  If  your  faith  were  great  and  strong, 
you  M'ould  not  fear  even  this  gale,  since  I  am  with  you  in  the 
ship;  you  would  not  (loul)t  for  one  moment  that  even  while 
asleej)  I  am  keeping  watch  over  you,  and  that  nothing  shall  harm 
you  while  I  am  near.  In  the  disciples  we  have  an  example  of 
weak  faith,  and  by  that  example  we  may  learn  how  the  weak 
f:iith   (|ifTer>    fi-oiu    uiihelicf. 


FOURTH    EI'irilAXY.  83 

This,  my  friends,  is  a  suhject  of  vital  importance.  We  know 
that  faith  saves  and  that  unbelief  condemns.  Faith,  and  if  there 
were  ever  so  little  of  it,  if  it  were  ever  so  weak  :  faith  leads  to  a 
blissful  eternity,  while  unbelief  in  every  shape  and  form  will  lead 
to  eternal  woe.  Does  not  Jesus  say,  "He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized,  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  l)e 
damned"?  But  where  is  there  a  Christian,  a  true  child  of  God, 
whom  the  thought  did  not  trouble  at  times.  Ah,  perhaps  you 
have  no  faith,  perhaps  you  are  an  unbeliever  who  shall  be 
damned?  Weak  faith  sometimes  so  strongly  resembles  unbelief 
that  the  one  may  be  mistaken  for  the  other,  though  there  is  an 
essential  difference  between  the  two.  How  vastly  important, 
then,  to  know  exactly  in  what  the  weak  faith  differs  from  un- 
belief ! 

Now,  to  enable  you  to  ward  off  Satan's  darts  tempting  you 
that  you  should  despair  of  your  own  salvation  because  you  had 
not  faith,  let  me  bring  out  a  few  points  of  our  Gospel,  showing 
the  difference  between  the  weak  faith  and  unbelief.  As  long  as 
a  man  is  void  of  faith  altogether,  he  will,  perhaps,  not  even 
think  of  God,  much  less  approach  God  in  the  days  of  distress. 
He  will  either  seek  help  and  succor  in  earthly  things  alone,  or 
sink  into  despair.  And  if  he  does  make  an  attempt  to  call  u})on 
God,  the  almighty  Ruler  of  heaven  and  earth,  he  will  do  so  with 
an  unbelieving  heart,  without  trust  in  God,  only  to  try  whether 
prayer  will  do  any  good  when  everything  else  has  failed.  But  if 
your  faith  is  weak,  as  it  was  with  the  disciples,  though  you  may 
get  to  the  point  of  abandoning  all  hopes,  where  you  may  even 
have  to  cope  with  doubts  as  to  whether  God  can  help  you,  yet, 
if  there  is  faith  in  you,  that  faith  will  exert  its  divine  power, 
and  will  be  strong  enough  to  overcome  your  doubts  and  fears, 
so  that  you  will  sincerely  trust  in  God  and  confidently  exclaim, 
as  did  the  disciples,  "Lord,  help  me!"  You  will  say  with  the 
holy  psalmist,  "God  is  my  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present 
help  in  trouble."  As  long  as  your  thoughts  are  with  God,  in 
communication  with  God,  sighing  to  the  Lord,  trusting  in  the 
Lord,  you  are  a  true  believer,  though  your  faith  may  be  very 
weak. — Furthermore,  as  long  as  a  man  is  void  of  faith  alto- 
gether, he  will  not  sincerely  trust  in  God's  grace  and  mercy. 
This  becomes  apparent  especially  when  great  misfortunes  come 


84  FOL'KTII    EPIPHANY. 

upon  him.  And  when  such  a  )nan  must  leave  this  world,  when 
on  his  (k'athl)e(l  ho  })orceives  that  now  he  must  cross  the  dark 
valley  of  deatli,  tlio  voice  of  his  conscience  perhaps  once  more 
will  make  itself  heard.  Ilis  sins  will  come  to  his  memory,  and 
thouo-h  he  tries  ever  so  hard  to  find  rest  and  comfort  asainst 
his  sins,  he  cannot.  God's  grace  and  mercy  is  proclaimed  to 
him  in  vain.  He  does  not  desire  Christ.  He  attempts  to  clothe 
himself  before  God  in  the  filthy  rags  of  his  own  righteousness. 
In  such  a  state  of  mind  he  passes  into  eternity.  But  if  your 
faitli  is  weak,  you  will,  at  all  events,  hold  on  to  God's  grace  and 
mercv.  You  may  get  into  such  deep  distress  as  to  say  with  the 
disci})les,  "Lord,  carest  Thou  not  that  I  perish?"  Hast  Thou 
forgotten  to  be  merciful?  But  though  your  faith  be  ever  so 
weak,  it  will  enable  you  to  hold  on  to  God's  grace  and  mercy. 
You  will  be  confident  that  God  cannot  mean  you  any  harm,  in 
spite  of  all  the  trials  and  temptations  and  misfortunes  that  you 
must  endure.  You  will  say,  God  hath  given  me  His  beloved 
Son,  His  one  and  all;  how,  then,  can  I  doubt  His  grace  and 
mercy?  Confidently  you  will  appeal  to  God  and  implore  Him, 
saying.  Lord,  help  me,  or  I  must  perish  !  I  know^  Thou  wilt 
hear  my  prayer,  for  Thou  hast  said,  "Call  upon  Me  in  the  day 
of  trouble;  I  will  deliver  thee,  and  thou  shall  glorify  Me,"  and, 
"My  mercy  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting  upon  them  that 
fear  Me."  How  can  I  doubt  Thy  promise?  Though  1  am  a 
sinner,  not  worthy  of  Thy  grace,  Thou  canst  not  forsake  me. 
As  long,  then,  as  thus  you  humble  yourself  before  God  and  de- 
sire His  grace,  though  that  desire  be  ever  so  faint,  you  are  a 
believer,  and  your  faith,  though  weak,  is  true  faith,  and  has  the 
promise  of  eternal  life. 

The  difference,  then,  ])etween  weak  believers  and  unbelievers 
is  simply  this:  While  unbelievers  either  ignore  God  altogether 
or  sink  into  utter  despair,  weak  believers  will  finally  triumph  over 
their  temptations  and  sincerely  call  upon  the  Lord  in  prayer. 
While  unbelievers  fail  to  lay  hold  on  (iod's  grace  and  mercy, 
shown  to  the  whole  sinful  world  in  the  sacrifice  of  His  beloved 
Son,  weak  believers,  though  frightened  and  greatly  distur])ed, 
will  cling  to  fiod's  grace  after  all  and  expect  of  Him  alcme  their 
help.  And  their  trust  is  not  in  vain.  For  "a  bruised  reed  shall 
lb-  not  break,  and  a  smoking  tlax  shall  He  not  (jueneh." 


FOURTH    EPIPHANY.  85 

II. 

Now  since  also  a  weak  faith  is  true  faith  and  has  the  promise 
of  eternal  life,  a  person  might  think  that  a  weak  faith  is  all  that 
needs  be  desired.  That  is  a  grave  mistake.  Let  me  endeavor 
to  show  you  that  weakness  of  faith  is  a  dangerous  thing. 

Weakness  of  faith  is  surely  not  a  state  and  condition  in 
which  a  Christian  should  wish  to  remain.  Did  Jesus  mean  to 
praise  His  disciples  when  He  said,  "  Why  are  ye  fearful  ?  0  ye 
of  little  faith""  ?  "Was  not  this  an  outright  reproof?  According 
to  Mark  and  Luke  it  was  even  more  than  a  reproof.  It  was 
a  rebuff.  Jesus  said,  "Where  is  your  faith?"  and,  "How  is  it 
that  ye  have  no  faith?"  Weakness  of  faith  is  nothing  pleas- 
ing to  God,  nothing  praiseworthy.  As  a  Christian  must  follow 
holiness  and  strive  to  become  always  more  and  more  perfect  in 
righteousness  of  life,  so  must  he  strive  to  grow  strong  in  the 
faith,  and  to  rid  himself  of  those  infirmities  that  cling  to  his 
faith.  St.  Paul,  indeed,  says,  "I  will  glory  in  mine  infirmities," 
but  he  does  not  mean  infirmities  of  faith;  he  means  the  trilni- 
lations  he  had  to  endure  for  Christ's  sake. 

It  is  a  dang:erous  thino;  to  be  contented  with  a  weak  faith. 
To  this  day  Christians  must  experience  the  same  things  which 
the  disciples  had  to  experience.  To  this  day  Christians  must  fol- 
low Christ  into  the  ship  and  upon  the  sea  of  this  world.  And 
while  other  ships  may  have  smooth  sailing,  the  ship  w^ith  Christ 
in  it  often  seems  to  be  doomed  to  destruction.  It  gets  into  a 
storm  center.  The  waves  dash  over  into  it.  The  sails  are  rent. 
The  masts  and  the  rudder  are  broken.  It  drifts  along  helplessly, 
tossed  up  and  down  upon  the  billows  of  an  angry  sea,  and  all 
seems  to  be  lost  and  gone.  Meanwhile  Jesus  seems  not  to  care 
for  the  fate  of  the  ship.  He  sleeps.  What  I  mean  to  say  is 
this:  Whosoever  casts  his  lot  with  Christ,  whosoever  embarks 
with  Him  in  the  ship  of  life,  and  confesses  Him  before  men, 
and  sets  sail  for  the  beautiful  shore  of  a  blissful  hereafter  under 
His  guidance,  must  be  prepared  to  meet  with  disastrous  storms 
in  this  life,  to  encounter  trials  and  temptations,  persecutions, 
griefs,  sorrows,  aflfliction,  and  all  manner  of  tribulations.  If  you 
love  Christ,  the  world  will  hate  you.  If  you  join  those  that 
rally  around  the  standard  of  the  Gospel,  you  will  be  laughed  at, 
sneered  at,  scoffed  at.     If  you  make  it  a  point  not  only  to  hear 


^Q  FOUUTII    EPU'IIANY. 

Christ's  Word,  but  also  to  do  Christ's  will,  if  you  sternly  refuse 
to  take  part  in  the  world's  evil  lusts,  in  drunken  revelries,  in 
j)ul)lic  (laiu-c's,  and  similar  works  of  the  tiesh,  you  can  depend  on 
it  that  vou  will  have  to  suffer  for  such  refusal  in  some  way. 
If  you  have  entrusted  yourself  to  Christ,  to  His  guidance  and 
o-overnint'  in  life,  the  common  ills  of  mankind  are  not  kei)t  awa}' 
from  you.  You  may  even  have  to  bear  more  than  those  who 
have  not  cast  their  lot  with  Christ.  You  may  have  to  suffer 
illness,  reverses  in  business,  trouble  in  the  family,  and  divers 
misfortunes.  And  then  the  greatest  trouble  will  come.  Satan 
will  .-hoot  his  darts  against  you.  He  will  whisper  into  your  ear 
and  say.  You  are  certainly  not  a  child  of  God.  Can  a  merciful 
God  let  His  children  suffer  as  you  must  suffer?  Go  to,  there 
either  must  be  no  God,  and  all  your  faith  in  God  and  a  Savior 
be  a  delusion,  or,  if  there  is  a  God,  He  does  not  care  for  you. 

Now  tell  me,  my  friends,  is  a  weak  faith  likely  to  hold  out 
in  such  tierce  tempests  and  storms?  Is  not  the  smoking  flax 
very  ai)t  to  be  extinguished  and  the  bruised  reed  very  apt  to 
break,  when  the  wind  blows  a  gale?  Does  not  Christ  tell  us  in 
the  i)araljle  of  the  sower  that  those  who  have  no  root  believe 
for  a  while  only  and  in  time  of  temptation  fall  away?  Have  not 
thousands  upon  thousands  fallen  away  from  Christ  because  they 
were  contented  with  a  weak  faith?  Does  not  every  weak  believer 
easily  fall  a  prey  to  error,  to  temi)tation,  to  sins  and  lusts?  Is  not 
this  a  most  danjrerous  thing:  to  be  contented  with  a  weak  faith? 

O  let  us  all  seek,  then,  to  be  strengthened  in  the  faith  ! 
Let  us  pray,  as  did  the  disciples,  and  say  with  them,  "Lord,  in- 
crease our  faith."  And  to  increase  our  faith  we  must  diligently 
make  use  of  the  means  of  grace.  Come  to  the  house  of  God, 
my  friend,  and  with  devout  attention  hear  the  preaching  of  the 
divine  Word.  Come  to  the  holy  sacrament  and  receive  the  true 
Ixxly  and  blood  of  Christ,  given  and  shed  for  the  remission  of 
sins.  And  tiuis,  by  the  grace  of  (Jod,  you  shall  be  made  "strong 
in  the  Lord  and  in  the  j)ower  of  His  might,  and  })ut  on  the  whole 
annor  of  Ciod,  that  you  may  be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles 
of  the  devil." 

Let  us  tight  the  good  tight  of  faith,  then,  and  lay  hold  on 
eternal  life.  And  (Jod  grant  that  we  all  hold  out  to  the  end,  and 
tinally  receive  the  crown  of  victory  for  Jesus'  sake.     Amen. 


FIFTH    EPIPHANY.  87 

FIFTH  EPIPHANY. 


Matt.  13,  24—30. 
Another  parable  put  he  forth  unto  them,  saying,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
likened  unto  a  man  which  sowed  good  seed  in  liis  Held :  but  wliile  men  slept, 
liis  enemy  came  and  sowed  tares  among  tlie  wlieat,  and  went  liis  way.  But 
when  the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth  fruit,  then  appeared  the  tares 
also.  So  the  seiTants  of  the  householder  came  and  said  uuto  him,  Sir,  didst 
not  thou  sow  good  seed  in  thy  field?  from  whence  then  hath  it  tares?  He  said 
uuto  them.  An  enemy  hath  done  this.  The  seiTants  said  unto  him.  Wilt  thou 
then  that  we  go  and  gather  them  up  ?  But  he  said.  Nay ;  lest  while  ye  gather 
up  the  tares,  ye  root  up  also  the  wheat  with  tliem.  Let  both  grow  together 
until  the  hai-vest:  and  in  the  time  of  han^est  I  will  say  to  tlie  reapers.  Gather  ye 
together  first  the  tares,  and  l)ind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them :  but  gather  the 
wheat  into  my  barn. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

In  the  parable  of  our  Gospel  the  Lord  Jesus  illustrates  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  When  Jesus  speaks  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  in  His  parables,  He  does  not  mean  merel}^  the  kingdom  of 
glory,  which  we  generally  call  heaven.  He  means  His  church, 
which,  upon  this  earth,  is  the  kingdom  of  His  grace,  and  in 
heaven  will  be  the  kingdom  of  glory.  And  that  Christ  means 
to  illustrate  the  state  and  condition  of  His  church  here  upon  earth 
in  this  parable  of  the  tares  among  the  wheat  is  plainly  to  be  seen 
from  His  own  interpretation  of  the  parable.  The  parable  of  our 
Gospel  is  one  of  the  few  parables  of  our  Lord  which  He  Himself 
has  explained.  For  this  is  what  we  read  in  the  same  chapter 
from  which  our  text  is  taken:  "And  His  disciples  came  unto 
Him,  saying,  Declare  unto  us  the  parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field. 
He  answered  and  said  unto  them.  He  that  soweth  the  good  seed 
is  the  Son  of  man ;  the  field  is  the  world ;  the  good  seed  are  the 
children  of  the  kino;dom;  but  the  tares  are  the  children  of  the 
wicked  one ;  the  enemy  that  sowed  them  is  the  devil ;  the  harvest 
is  the  end  of  the  world;  and  the  reaj^ers  are  the  angels.  As 
therefore  the  tares  are  gathered  and  burned  in  the  fire ;  so  shall 
it  be  in  the  end  of  this  world.  The  Son  of  man  shall  send  forth 
His  angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  His  kingdom  all  things 
that  offend,  and  them  which  do  inicjuity ;  and  shall  cast  them  into 
a  furnace  of  fire:  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 
Then  shall  the  ricfhteous  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of 


88  FIFTH    EPIPHANY. 

their  Father.  Who  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear."  So,  in  the 
Ii<'-lit  of  Christ's  own  interpretation,  the  world  appears  as  a  vast 
tiekl.  Ui)on  this  tielcl  Jesus  sows  the  good  seed  of  His  divine 
Word.  That  seed  is  not  east  out  in  vain.  Children  of  God  are 
produeed,  true  Christians,  who  eonstitute  the  ehurch  of  Christ. 
Meanwhile,  the  devil  also  sows  his  pernicious  seed  in  between, 
whieh  produces  ungodliness  and  children  of  wickedness.  These 
are  intermingled  with  the  true  Christians,  like  the  tares  among 
the  wheat.  And  in  this  mixed  state  and  condition  the  church 
shall  remain  unto  the  end  of  the  world. 

The  subject  of  our  discourse  shall  be  with  the  aid  of  God's 
Holy  Spirit, 

TARES  AMONG  THE  AVHEAT,  OR,  THE  CONDITION  OF  THE 
CHURCH  ON  EARTH. 

And  we  shall  consider, 

I.    That  upon  earth  the  church  appears  in  a  condition  re- 
sembling tares  among  wheat,  and 
H.  IIoiv  we  are  to  conduct  ourselves  in  vieiv  thereof. 

I. 

The  church  upon  this  earth  appears  in  a  condition  resembling 
tares  among  the  wheat.  I  deliberately  say,  it  appears  in  such 
condition.  The  godless  people  that  are  found  in  the  visible  church 
are  not  a  component  i)art  of  the  church.  For  what  does  Christ 
call  the  church?  He  says,  "  77(e  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened 
unto  (I  nKiii  which  sowed  good  seed  in  his  f  eld.'"  The  church  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  upon  earth,  and  only  that  which  is  pro- 
duced by  the  good  seed  of  the  divine  Word  pertains  to  the  church. 
Wherever  there  are  those  who  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  there  is  the 
church.  Jesus  says,  "Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together 
in  my  name,  there  am  1  in  the  midst  of  them."  In  the  time  of 
the  New  Testament  the  ehui-eh  is  not  contined  to  a  certain  locality, 
to  a  certain  nation  or  people,  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  the  Old 
Testament.  The  whole  wide  world  is  its  domain,  and  wherever 
Christ  Himself  is  the  Sower,  that  is,  where  the  Word  of  Ciod  is 
taught  in  its  purity  and  the  holy  sacraments  are  administered  in 
(■onformity  with  Christ's  institution,  there  is  the  church  of  Christ. 
The  climcli  in  itself  is  a  j>ure  thing,  a  glorious  church,  as  St.  Paul 


FIFTH    EPIPHANY.  89 

says,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing,  holy  and 
without  blemish. 

But  what  is  the  outward  appearance  of  the  church  upon  this 
earth?  Christ  says,  ''But  while  ynen  slept,  his  enemy  came  and 
sowed  tares  among  the  wheat,  and  went  his  way.  But  when  the 
blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth  fruit,  then  appeared  the 
tares  also.''  Behold,  then,  such  is  the  outward  appearance  of  the 
church  upon  earth.  It  resembles  in  its  outward  appearance  a  field 
where  the  tares  are  mixed  among  the  wheat.  Note  well,  the  tares 
are  not  a  desirable  plant.  The  farmer  does  not  sow  them.  He 
does  not  cultivate  them.  So  the  wicked,  the  hypocrites,  false 
prophets,  gross  and  impenitent  sinners,  are  not  of  God.  They  be- 
long to  the  church  only  as  the  tares  belong  to  the  wheat-field,  or 
the  withered  and  dead  branches  to  the  living  tree.  They  are  not 
members  of  the  church  proper,  of  that  mystic  body  of  which 
Christ  is  the  Head.  But  such  is  merely  the  outward  appearance 
of  Christ's  church.  Where  the  Word  of  God  is  taught  in  its 
purity  and  the  holy  sacraments  are  rightly  administered,  where 
the  true  church  is  established,  there  you  will  also  find  the  sad 
effects  of  Satan's  pernicious  work.  You  will  find  wicked  people 
among  the  good,  godlessness  developing  alongside  of  piety,  vice 
cropping  forth  on  the  very  side  of  virtue,  and  children  of  the 
Evil  One  standing  next  to  the  children  of  God. 

This  has  always  been  the  case,  and  thus  it  shall  remain  unto 
the  end  of  the  world.  Was  not  Cain,  who  killed  his  brother  Abel, 
in  the  first  church,  the  church  of  Adam?  Was  there  not  such 
corruption  in  the  church  of  Seth  that  God  determined  to  make  an 
end  of  it  by  the  deluge?  In  the  small  church  saved  in  the  ark, 
the  church  of  Noah,  was  there  not  a  black  sheep,  Ham?  Did  not 
such  wickedness  develop  in  the  church  of  Shem  that  God  found 
it  necessary  to  single  out  Abraham  and  to  make  him  the  father  of 
His  chosen  people?  And  what  sins,  crimes  of  almost  every  de- 
scription, do  we  find  recorded  in  the  Old  Testament,  crimes  com- 
mitted by  members  of  God's  people,  the  people  of  Israel !  And 
when  in  the  New  Testament  the  Eternal  Son  of  God  came  into 
the  flesh  and  gathered  around  Him  a  church  of  His  disciples, 
were  there  not  tares  among  the  wheat?  Did  not  Judas  betray 
his  Master?  And  when  the  holy  apostles  founded  the  Christian 
church  and  organized  Christian  congregations,  beginning  at  Jeru- 


;m)  fifth  EriniAxv. 

salem  and  thence  extending  their  missionary  labors  to  the  different 
l)arts  of  the  world,  were  these  churches  and  congregations  pure 
and  faidtless,  and  did  the  apostles  never  find  cause  for  complaint? 
Did  not  one  of  tliosc  first  seven  deacons  elected  for  the  congre- 
gation in  JerusaU'm,  a  man  bv  the  name  of  Nicolas,  cause  divisions 
in  the  church  and  become  tlie  founder  of  a  most  disgraceful  sect? 
Do  we  not  find  divisions  in  the  congregation  of  Corinth,  alterca- 
tion among  the  members,  injustice,  abuse  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
men  who  denied  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  and  even  a  man 
who  had  committed  incest?  Did  not  false  prophets  succeed  in 
seducing  nearly  all  the  members  of  the  congregations  in  Galatia 
to  bi'licvc  that  they  were  not  saved  through  faith  alone,  but  also 
by  their  own  good  deeds?  Read  the  epistles  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  you  will  find  that  under  the  very  eyes  of  the  apostles 
Satan  sowed  his  tares  among  the  wheat,  and  that  the  church,  in 
its  outward  ai)pearance,  before  men,  was  never  pure,  but  always 
in  such  a  mixed  state  and  condition. 

And  where  should  I  begin  and  end,  would  I  enter  upon  the 
history  of  })<)st-ap()stolic  times  and  show  you  how  the  pai)acy  de- 
vel()i)ed  in  the  church?  Show  me  a  church  which  presents  the 
appearance  of  pure  wheat  with  not  a  blade  of  any  sort  of  obnox- 
ious weed  in  it.  Show  me  a  congregation  which  has  arrived  at  the 
stage  of  ])erfection,  and  where  everything  is  exactly  as  it  should  be 
among  tiie  members.  There  is  no  such  church  upon  earth.  And 
there  can  never  be  such  a  church  upon  earth,  for  the  simple 
reason  tiiat  Satan  will  always  sow  the  seed  of  wickedness  upon 
the  same  field  where  God  casts  the  seed  of  His  divine  Word,  and 
that  our  own  hearts,  corrupted  with  sin,  are  always  susceptible  of 
all  that  is  evil. 

II. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  consider  how  we  should 
conduct  ourselves  in  view  of  this  mixed  state. 

In  our  (ios|)el  we  read,  'sS'o  fhr  seri'onfs  of  the  Jioiiseholder 
came  nud  said  imtn  /u'»),  Sir,  didst  mtt  thou  smv  good  seed  in  fh// 
fit  Id/  From  irhcnce  then  hath  it  tares?  He  said  nntn  the/n.  An 
t^iicnnj  hath  done  this.  The  sei'vaiits  said  unto  him.  Wilt  thou 
thin  that  ve  (jo  and  (jathcr  them  up?  But  he  said,  Nay;  lest 
v'hi/i'  i/t'  ijathi  V  lip  the  tares,  ye  root  up  (dso  the  wheat  iritJi  them. 


FIFTH    EPIPHANY.  'Jl 

Let  both  grow  together  until  the  harvest:  mid  in  the  time  of 
harvest  I  will  say  to  the  reapers.  Gather  ye  together  first  the 
tares,  and  hind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them:  but  gather  the 
wheat  into  my  barn." 

The  first  thinsr  we  learn  here  is  that  wo  must  not  be  offended 
when  we  behold  tares  among  the  wheat,  thinking  that  a  church 
must  be  false  in  which  sins  occur,  and  eventually  severing  our 
connection  with  it,  though  we  must  admit  that  it  has  the  marks 
of  the  true  church,  the  pure  Word  of  God  and  the  holy  sacra- 
ments. The  children  of  this  world  generally  make  a  great  ado 
when  a  church  member  is  exposed  as  a  hypocrite,  or  falls  into 
some  gross  sin  even  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  They  charge  such 
things  to  the  inability  of  the  church  to  exercise  a  wholesome  in- 
fluence upon  its  members.  And  ill-advised  Christians  will  some- 
times permit  their  thoughts  to  run  into  the  same  channel.  The 
true  church  of  Christ  upon  this  earth,  according  to  their  thoughts, 
is  a  net  comprising  only  good  fishes,  a  table  spread  with  holy 
vessels  only.  As  soon  as  some  public  offense  is  given,  they  begin 
to  doubt  whether  this  can  be  the  true  church  of  Christ  when  such 
horrible  things  can  come  to  pass. 

This  is  a  grave  mistake.  Must  you  rest  your  souls'  salvation 
upon  the  righteousness  and  piety  of  men?  Must  you  not  rest 
your  souls'  salvation  upon  the  infallible  Word  of  God  alone?  If, 
therefore,  you  are  seeking  the  true  chur<;h  of  Christ  upon  earth, 
you  must  seek  for  a  church  wdiere  the  holy  Word  of  God  is  pro- 
claimed in  its  truth  and  purity,  without  taking  anything  there- 
from or  adding  anything  thereto,  where  Scripture  is  explained 
by  Scripture,  and  where  the  holy  sacraments  are  administered  in 
conformity  with  Christ's  institution.  These  are  the  infallible 
marks  by  which  you  should  know  the  true  church.  Where  these 
are,  there  the  good  seed  is  sown  which  must,  and  invariably  Avill, 
produce  fruit  for  eternal  life;   there  is  the  true  church  of  God. 

And  another  thing  to  be  observed  in  view  of  this  mixed  con- 
dition  of  the  church  is,  we  must  not  think  that  we  had  to  cleanse 
the  church  by  rooting  out  the  hypocrites,  and  heretics,  and  evil- 
doers from  the  field  of  this  world.  By  the  church  of  Rome 
thousands  were  put  to  death  not  only  for  evil-doing,  but  also  for 
supposed  witchcraft  and  for  proclaiming  doctrines  which  were 
termed  heresies,  because  they  opposed  the  papacy.     The  hands 


92  FiiTii  f:piriiANY. 

of  that  chuirli  arc  stained  w  itli  the  blood  of  many  thousands  of 
martyrs,  true  Cliristians,  who  eonfessed  Jesus  to  the  end  of  their 
lives,  as  did  John  IIuss,  who  was  burned  at  the  stake.  Woe 
unto  us  if  that  church  ever  came  to  ruling  power  in  our  beloved 
country  !  lieligious  freedom  would  be  at  an  end.  And  the  so- 
called  Keformed  churches  are  little  l)etter.  By  Calvin  the  prin- 
ciple was  ratified  tiiat  heretics,  or  false  teachers,  should  be 
destroyed  l)y  the  sword.  To  this  day  the  churches  based  on 
Calvinistie  docti-ine  do  not  com})rehen(l  the  distinction  between 
church  ajid  state.  Time  and  again  they  make  efforts  to  govern 
the  church  by  secular  i)()wer  and  to  have  the  state  mix  into 
church  affairs.  All  of  this  is  on  the  line  of  rooting  up  the  tares 
with  the  wheat,  of  ruling  the  church  with  the  sword,  with  tempo- 
ral power,  and  not  by  the  Word  of  God  alone. 

Still,  are  we  not  to  mind  the  sins  and  evils  which  occur  in  the 
church?  Are  we  to  ))e  indifferent  about  thetn?  Are  we  to  keep 
such  within  tiic  pale  of  the  church  as  are  open  and  manifest 
sinners?  Verily  not.  Note  w^ell  that  Christ  says,  "  While  men 
slept,  his  enemy  came  and  soived  tares.''  The  members  of  a 
Christian  couirregation  should  be  watchful  and  wakeful  to  pre- 
vent,  as  nmch  as  possible,  the  enemy  from  sowing  his  tares 
among  the  wheat.  They  should  admonish  one  another  to  be 
steadfast  in  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God  who  died  on  the  cross 
for  the  sins  of  all  men,  and  to  lead  a  truly  Christian  life.  And 
when  a  church  member  does  fall  into  sin,  the  duty  devolves  upon 
the  congregation  to  convince  him  by  the  use  of  the  divine  Word 
of  the  wickedness  of  his  ways,  and  to  lead  him  to  repent  of  his 
sin,  and  to  seek  refuge  with  Jesus,  who  is  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins,  and  not  foi"  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
Avorld.  If  he  rejients,  his  sin  is  forgiven,  and  he  remains  in  the 
church.  But  if  he  does  not  repent,  and  i)ersists  in  the  way  of 
the  transgressor,  the  rule  is  laid  down  by  the  Lord  Jesus  in  the 
eighteenth  chapter  of  Matthew  that  such  person  shall,  after  re- 
{)eated  fruitless  admonitions,  be  looked  upon  as  a  heathen  man 
and  a  publican,  or  excommunicated,  excluded  from  the  Christian 
conjirc^fjation. 

May  the  Lord,  iheii,  grant  unto  us  all  His  grace  to  examine 
our  own  hearts,  and  to  s(m»  that  we  are  true  members  of  the  in- 
visible chui'ch,  which  is  t)uilt  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles 


Christ's  pkesextation  ix  the  temple.  93 

and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  Himself  ])eiag  tlie  chief  corner  stone. 
And  on  the  hist  day,  when  the  mixed  state  of  the  church  shall 
cease,  we  shall  not  be  in  those  bundles  of  tares  that  are  cast  into 
the  furnace  of  fire,  but  in  the  sheaves  that  are  received  into  the 
barn,  and  be  among  the  righteous  who  shall  shine  forth  as  the 
sun  in  the  kino;dom  of  our  Father.     Amen. 


CHRIST'S  PRESENTATION  IN  THE  TEMPLE. 


Litre  2,  22—32. 
And  when  the  days  of  her  purification  according  to  the  law  of  Moses  were 
accomplished,  they  brought  him  to  Jerusalem,  to  present  him  to  the  Lord;  (as 
it  is  written  in  the  law  of  the  Loi'd,  Every  male  that  openeth  the  womb  shall  be 
called  holy  to  the  Lord;)  and  to  offer  a  sacrifice  according  to  that  which  is  said 
in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  A  pair  of  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons.  And,  be- 
hold, there  was  a  man  in  Jerusalem,  whose  name  was  Simeon ;  and  the  same 
man  was  just  and  devout,  Avaiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel:  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  upon  him.  And  it  was  revealed  unto  him  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he 
should  not  see  death,  before  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ.  And  he  came  by 
the  Spirit  into  the  temple :  and  when  the  parents  brought  in  the  child  Jesus,  to 
do  for  him  after  the  custom  of  the  law,  then  took  he  him  up  in  his  arms,  and 
blessed  God,  and  said.  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  ser\-ant  depart  in  peace,  ac- 
cording to  thy  word :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation,  which  thou  hast 
prepared  before  the  face  of  all  people ;  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
glory  of  thy  people  Israel. 

Beloved  Friexds  ix  Christ  : 

The  Gospel  which  I  have  read  to  you  is  intended  for  a  cer- 
tain day,  for  the  second  day  of  February.  The  second  day  of 
February  is  the  fortieth  day  after  Christmas,  and  on  that  day  the 
Child  Jesus  was  taken  to  Jerusalem  by  His  mother  Mary  and 
His  foster  father  Joseph,  and  presented  to  the  Lord  in  His  holy 
temple.  At  the  same  time,  Mary  brought  the  sacrifices  of  puri- 
fication, as  prescribed  by  the  Law  of  God. 

Now  while  they  were  in  the  temple  with  the  Child  Jesus,  an 
old  man  came  into  the  temple,  and  when  he  beheld  the  Child,  his 
features  beamed  with  joy.  He  took  the  Child  from  His  mother's 
arms,  pressed  Him  tenderly  to  his  own  bosom,  and  exclaimed  as 
if  in  ecstasy,  ''•Lord,  now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in 
peace^  according  to  Thy  v;ord:  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  sal- 
vation.'*''    This  old  man  was  Simeon  ;    and  of  Simeon  we  may 


94  C1I1:IST\s    PliESEXXATION     IN    TIIK    TKMPLE. 

lojini  a  vcrv  proritablo  lesson.  "We  nil  know  that  once  we  must 
(lie.  There  is  no  balm  to  save  us  from  the  grave.  When  our  ap- 
pointed time  has  come,  we  must  succumb  to  the  inevitable,  and 
no  power  can  extend  our  lives  beyond  the  allotted  tune.  Now 
while  the  children  of  this  world  dread  and  fear  death  and  loathe 
even  to  be  reminded  of  death,  a  Christian  may  calmly  look  into 
the  face  of  this  grim  monster  and  meet  him,  as  did  old  Simeon, 
without  fear  and  trembling.  We  all  cling  to  life,  and  also  a 
Christian  will  use  all  rightful  means  to  keep  death  away  from  his 
door ;  but  he  has  no  higher  wish  than  to  depart  from  this  life  in 
peace,  when  his  time  is  ended.  Let  us  consider,  then,  with  the 
aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  the  question, 

WHO  CAN  DEPART  THIS  LIFE  IN  PEACE  LIKE  SIMEON? 

The  answer  is.  He  that 

I.  behohU  Jesus  icifh  Ihe  eyes  of  faith ,  and 
II.  embraces  Jesus  loith  the  arms  of  faith, 

I. 

Of  Simeon  we  read,  '■'■And  he  came  hij  the  Spirit  into  the 
temple:  and  ichen  the  parents  brought  in  the  Child  Jesus,  to  do 
for  Ilim  after  the  custom,  of  the  Law,  then  took  he  Him  up  in  his 
arms,  and  blessed  God,  and  said.  Lord,  now  lettest  Thou  Thj 
servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  Thy  word:  for  mine  eyes 
have  seen  Thy  salvation.'"  And  there  is  an  old  tradition  that 
Simeon  did  not  leave  the  temple  alive,  l)ut  that  he  ex})ircd,  clos- 
ing his  eyes  in  the  sleep  of  death,  after  he  had  gazed  upon  the 
heavenly  Child  and  had  ended  his  psalm  of  praise. 

IIow  did  Simeon  come  to  depart  from  this  life  so  peacefully? 
lie  had  seen  Jesus.  But  how  many  others  did  also  behold  Jesus 
when  lie  was  in  the  flesh,  and  did  not  dei)art  in  peace  when  death 
came  upon  them  !  The  mere  sight  of  Jesus,  seeing  Him  with 
bodily  eyes,  can,  therefore,  not  be  the  real  cause  of  Simeon's 
j)caceful  departure  from  this  world.  There  nuist  be  something 
else  connected  with  that  seeing.  The  fact  is,  Simeon  beheld 
Jesus  with  different  eyes  than  the  priests  in  the  temple  and  the 
great  majority  of  the  Jews.  He,  at  the  same  time,  beheld  Jesus 
with  the  eyes  of  faith.  And  thus  he  had  been  gazing  upon  Jesus 
long  before  his  bodily  eyes  were  i)ermitted  to  behold  Him. 


Christ's  presentation  in  the  temple.  95 

Who,  then,  can  depart  this  life  in  peace  like  Simeon?  He 
that  beholds  Jesus,  he  that  sees  Jesus  with  the  eyes  of  faith. 
And  how  Jesus  may  be  beheld  with  the  eyes  of  faith  is  most 
beautifully  shown  in  our  Gospel. 

There  we  are  told  of  Simeon,  ^^And  it  was  revealed  unto 
him  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should  not  see  death,  before  he 
had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ.'"  Whom,  then,  did  Simeon  recosr- 
nize  in  the  Child?  With  the  eyes  of  faith  he  recognized  in  Him 
the  Lord's  Christ,  that  is,  the  Lord's  Anointed,  the  promised 
Messiah  and  Deliverer,  whom  all  Israel  for  many  centuries  had 
been  expecting  to  come.  He  therefore  says,  '■'■For  mine  eyes 
have  seen  Thy  salvation.'^  He  obviously  has  in  his  mind  the 
words  of  the  dying  patriarch  Jacob,  who,  while  pronouncing  the 
blessing  upon  his  sons,  made  a  solemn  pause,  and  exclaimed, 
"I  have  waited  for  Thy  salvation,  O  Lord,"  meaning  by  the  sal- 
vation the  Savior  from  sin,  in  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
should  be  blessed.  If,  therefore,  like  Simeon,  you  would  behold 
Jesus  with  the  eyes  of  faith,  so  as  to  die  in  peace,  you  must  not 
look  upon  Him  as  did  those  priests  in  the  temple  who  took  Him 
for  a  common  child.  No;  you  must  recognize  in  Him  the  Savior 
and  Deliverer  from  sin.  You  must  not  look  upon  Him  as  though 
He  were  nothing  more  than  mortal  man,  only  a  perfect  man  and 
the  model  for  all  men.  No  ;  you  must  believe  that  He  is  the 
Lord's  Christ,  that  He  is  both  God  and  man  in  one  person. 

And  not  only  His  person,  but  His  office  also  you  must  view 
Avith  the  eyes  of  faith.  You  must  know  by  faith  that  He  has  ac- 
complished the  great  work  of  the  redemption  of  the  whole  fallen 
human  race,  when  for  our  sakes  and  in  our  stead  He  put  Himself 
under  the  Law. 

Reference  is  made  to  this  great  work  of  the  Son  of  God  in 
the  beginning  of  our  Gospel,  where  we  are  told  how  Jesus  was 
presented  to  the  Lord  in  the  temple  and  how  the  sacrifice  of 
purification  was  brought  for  Him.  According  to  the  Law  of 
God  for  the  children  of  Israel,  every  mother,  having  given  birth 
to  a  child,  was  to  be  considered  unclean  ;  and  she  had  to  remain 
at  home  for  forty  days  if  the  child  was  a  boy,  and  for  eighty  days 
if  the  child  was  a  girl.  These  were  the  days  of  purification. 
When  they  were  accomplished,  the  first  place  a  mother  in  Israel 
had  to  visit  with  her  child  was  the  Lord's  temple,  where  the 


96  Christ's  puese.ntatiox  in  the  temple. 

parencs  had  to  offer  a  sacrifice  for  the  l)irtli  of  the  child.  Now 
this  Lav,  was  evidently  to  remind  the  children  of  Israel  that  man 
is  conceived  and  born  in  sins.  But  Jesus  was  not  conceived  and 
born  in  sins.  He  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost  and  born  of 
the  Virgin  Marv.  Yet  of  His  own  will  and  accord  He  put  Him- 
self under  the  Law,  as  though  He  were  a  sinner,  like  all  the  rest 
of  the  children  of  men.  And  this  He  did  for  us,  as  our  sub- 
stitute, that  He  might  redeein  us.  Behold,  then,  if  with  the 
eyes  of  faith  you  would  see  Jesus,  you  must  also  look  upon  Him 
as  the  substitute  of  the  sinful  human  race,  who  put  Himself  un- 
der the  Law  for  our  sakes,  and  fulfilled  for  us  the  Law's  demands, 
that  wc  might  not  be  eternally  condemned  1)}^  the  Law  which  we 
have  not  fulfilled,  l>ut  live  before  God  forever. 

II. 

Still,  my  friends,  if,  like  Simeon,  we  would  depart  from  this 
life  in  jieace,  we  nuist  not  only  ])ehold  Jesus  with  the  eyes  of 
faith,  but  also  embrace  Him  with  the  arms  of  faith.  This  is  our 
second  point. 

Old  Simeon  was  not  satisfied  with  the  mere  look  which  he 
cast  upon  the  Child.  We  are  informed  that  he  took  the  Child  up 
in  iiis  arms.  So  great  was  his  joy,  he  could  not  constrain  him- 
self.   Ho  had  to  press  the  dear  Child  to  his  own  bosom. 

My  friend,  do  you  Avish  to  depart  from  this  life  in  peace,  like 
Simeon,  when  your  time  comes?  If  so,  you  must  also  embrace 
Jesus.  I  do  not  mean  that  you  must  embrace  Him  with  bodily 
arms.  You  could  not  do  that.  For  though  invisibly  and  even 
bodily  present  with  us  alway,  the  Lord  Jesus  is  no  longer  visible 
with  us.  And  was  it  tiie  bodily  contact  which  made  Simeon  so 
iia[)i)y  in  death?  Did  not  many  of  the  Jews  touch  Jesus  when 
He  was  in  the  flesh,  and  not  see  salvation?  Did  not  Judas  kiss 
Him  ?  There  must  be  something  else  connected  with  the  embrace 
also  of  old  Simeon.  The  fact  is,  Simeon  embraced  Jesus,  at  the 
same  time,  with  Ww.  arms  of  faith.  When  he  tenderly  pressed 
the  Child  to  his  bosom,  lie  meant  to  say  thereby.  This  Child  is 
jnf/  Savior,  in;/  consolation,  ///y  ho})e  in  life  and  in  death.  And  in 
this  maniK  r  old  Simeon  had  been  embracing  Jesus  long  before  he 
was  permitted  to  hol<l  Him  in  his  arms. 


Christ's  pkesextatiox  in  thk  tkmi'le.  97 

Thus,  then,  my  friends,  true  faith  is  not  contented  with 
merely  beholding  Jesus,  that  is,  with  know'ledge  and  assent, 
knowing  that  He  is  the  promised  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  born 
of  the  Father  in  eternity,  the  Mediator  between  God  and  men, 
the  Savior  of  the  fallen  human  race.  The  main  thino;  is  to  em- 
brace  Jesus,  that  is,  to  make  Jesus  your  own,  to  receive  and  ac- 
cept Him  as  your  Savior,  to  appropriate  to  yourselves  the  merits 
and  sufferings  of  eTesus,  in  short,  to  place  your  confidence  in 
eTesus  alone. 

And  how  is  that  done?  How  is  Jesus  embraced  with  the 
arms  of  faith?  How  is  Jesus  made  our  own?  Behold  Simeon's 
example.  He  says,  ^^Mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation,  which 
Thou  Jiast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  people ;  a  light  to  lighten 
the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  Thy  people  Israel.''  Do  you  hear 
how  Simeon  places  himself  in  line  with  the  Gentiles  and  says  that 
Jesus  is  the  Savior  of  both  Jews  and  Gentiles?  Simeon  knows 
that  he  is  a  sinner,  though  he  is  a  member  of  God's  chosen 
people,  and  that  in  the  sight  of  the  just  and  holy  God  he  is  not 
any  better  than  a  heathen.  Yet  he  is  not  frightened  by  the  glory 
and  majesty  of  the  heavenly  Child.  He  firmly  believes  that  in 
this  Child  all  his  sins  are  forgiven,  and  that  now  the  gates  of 
heaven  are  opened  before  him. 

So  if  you  would  embrace  Jesus  with  the  arms  of  faith,  you 
must,  indeed,  humble  yourselves  before  God  and  admit  that  you 
are  sinners,  not  worthy  of  His  grace  ;  but  then  you  must  not 
despair  on  account  of  yoxxv  sins,  and  if  they  were  ever  so  great, 
but  come  to  Jesus  and  say,  Receive  me,  O  Lord,  make  me  Thine 
own.  You  must  boldly  apply  to  yourselves  that  which  Jesus  did 
for  all  sinners  and  confidently  believe  that  in  Him  you  have  per- 
fect forgiveness,  life,  and  salvation. 

And  if  you  do  this  with  a  sincere  heart,  you  wdll  not  only  lead 
a  godly  and  holy  life,  as  did  Simeon,  of  whom  we  are  expressly 
told  that  he  '■'■  was  just  and  devout,  waiting  for  the  consolation  of 
Israel,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  upon  /uV«,"  but  you  will  also  be 
duly  prepared  at  any  time  to  depart  this  life  in  peace,  to  fall 
asleep  in  Jesus'  name,  and  to  awake  in  the  heavenly  mansions, 
where  there  is  joy  for  evermore.    Amen. 


98  SEITIAOKSIMA    SUNDAY. 

SEPTUAGESIMA  SUNDAY 


Matt.  20,  1—16. 
For  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  man  that  is  an  householder,  which 
went  out  early  In  the  morning  to  hire  laborers  into  his  vineyard.  And  wlten  he 
had  agreed  with  the  laborers  for  a  jienny  a  day,  he  sent  them  into  his  vineyard. 
And  he  went  out  about  the  third  hour,  and  saw  others  standing  idle  in  the  market 
place,  and  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  also  into  the  vineyard,  and  whatsoever  is  right 
I  will  give  you.  And  they  went  their  way.  Again  he  went  out  about  the  sixth 
and  ninth  hour,  and  did  likewise.  And  about  the  eleventh  hour  he  went  out, 
and  found  otiiers  standing  idle,  and  saith  unto  them,  Why  stand  ye  here  all  the 
day  idle?  They  say  unto  him.  Because  no  man  hath  hired  us.  He  saith  unto 
them,  Go  ye  also  into  the  vineyard;  and  whatsoever  is  right,  that  shall  ye  re- 
ceive. So  when  even  was  come,  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  saith  unto  his  steward. 
Call  the  laborers,  and  give  them  their  hire,  beginning  from  the  last  unto  the  lirst. 
And  when  they  came  that  were  hired  about  the  eleventli  lionr,  they  received 
every  man  a  penny.  But  when  the  lirst  came,  they  supposed  that  they  should 
have  received  more;  and  they  likewise  received  every  man  a  penny.  And  when 
they  had  received  it,  they  murmured  against  the  goodman  of  the  house,  saying. 
These  last  have  wrought  but  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  unto 
us,  which  have  l)orne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.  But  he  answered  one  of 
them,  and  said.  Friend,  I  do  tiiee  no  wrong:  didst  not  thou  agree  with  me  for  a 
penny?  Take  that  thine  is,  and  go  thy  way:  I  will  give  unto  this  last,  even  as 
unto  thee.  Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  will  with  mine  own?  Is  thine 
eye  evil,  because  I  am  good  ?  So  the  last  shall  be  first,  and  the  first  last :  for 
many  be  called,  but  few  chosen. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

Thi.s  Gospel  has  always  been  considered  one  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult texts  in  the  Bil)le.  The  difficulty  arises  when  we  attempt 
an  explanation  of  all  the  points  of  comparison  in  the  parable. 
Luther  calls  such  an  attempt  a  great  mistake.  A  parable  gener- 
ally has  some  points  in  it  which  admit  of  no  interpretation,  be- 
cause they  stand  in  no  relation  whatever  to  the  truth  which  the 
parable  is  to  im})r('ss  on  the  mind.  When  Christ  says,  for  in- 
stance, that  lie  shall  come  to  judge  the  \vorld  as  a  thief  in  the 
night,  does  He  mean  to  say  that  He  will  do  the  work  of  a  thief, 
which  is  to  rob  and  to  .steal?  No;  He  simply  means  to  say  that 
He  will  come  unexi)ectdd,  and  nothing  more.  In  another  parable, 
the  unjust  steward  who  cunningly  deceived  his  master  is  praised 
because  he  had  done  wisely  providing  for  the  future.  But  does 
this  mean  that  fraud  and  deception  is  something  jiraiseworthy  and 
<'oniin('ii(ial)l('?  No;  it  simply  means  that,  as  the  ciiildrcn  of  this 
world  arc  prudent  in  their  own  sinful  way,  so  should  the  Chris- 


SEPTUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  99 

tians  be  prudent  in  a  rightful  way  and  provide  for  a  blessed 
hereafter. 

So  in  our  Gospel  we  must  not  attempt  an  interpretation  of 
every  single  point,  but  see  which  is  the  general  doctrine,  or  di- 
vine truth,  which  Jesus. means  to  inculcate  by  this  paraljle.  And 
this  is  plainly  shown  by  the  context,  elesus  had  told  a  young  man, 
who  was  ver}'^  rich,  that  he  should  give  all  his  goods  to  the  poor 
and  follow  Him  as  a  disciple.  The  young  man  could  not  make 
up  his  mind  to  do  that.  He  went  away  sorrowful.  Hereupon 
Peter  said  to  the  Lord,  "Behold,  we  have  forsaken  all,  and  fol- 
lowed Thee:  what  shall  we  have  therefore?"  Peter  thoujrht  that 
he  and  his  fellow-disciples  were  entitled  to  an  ample  reward  for 
the  sacrifice  of  their  earthly  possessions  for  Christ's  sake;  and 
now  he  wanted  to  know  what  their  reward  would  be.  And  what 
was  Jesus'  reply  ?  He  said,  "Every  one  that  hath  forsaken  houses, 
or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children, 
or  lands,  for  my  name's  sake,  shall  receive  an  hundredfold,  and 
shall  inherit  eternal  life.  But" — adds  He  significantly  —  "many 
that  are  first  shall  be  last;  and  the  last  shall  be  first."  Christ 
means  to  say,  It  is  truly  not  in  vain  that  you  follow  me  and  labor 
in  my  kingdom  as  my  servants,  but  take  heed ;  that  is  a  dangerous 
question,  "What  shall  we  have  therefore?"  For  in  my  kingdom 
all  must  labor,  some  more,  some  less,  every  one  according  to  the 
grace  bestowed  upon  him,  but  the  reward  is  by  grace,  not  by 
merit.  No  one  can  say  that  by  his  labor  he  merits  anything,  or 
that  he  works  for  compensation.  And  this  is  the  general  truth 
which  the  Lord  means  to  teach  by  the  parable  of  our  Gospel, 
namely,  that  all  must  labor  in  the  vineyard  of  His  kingdom  and 
that  their  reward  is  by  grace.  Accordingly,  the  subject  of  our 
discourse  shall  be  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

OUR  LABOR  IN  THE  LORD'S  VINEYARD,  AND  OUR  REWARD. 

I.    Our  labor. 
II.    Our  reward. 

I. 

The  most  important  and  most  precious  doctrine  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  is  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  grace,  the  doctrine 
that  we  are  justified  and  saved  not  by  our  own  good  works  and 
righteousness,  but  by  God's  free  grace  and  mercy,  through  faith 


JQQ  SEITUAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  doctrine  is  the  great  central  truth 
of  the  Bible  and  the  foundation  of  our  hope.  If  we  had  not  this 
doctrine,  we  couhl  never  be  made  sure  of  our  soul's  salvation. 
The  doctrine  of  justification  by  grace  should,  therefore,  occupy 
tlic  foremost  part  in  our  hearts  and  permeate  all  our  thoughts. 
Most  beautifully  does  St.  Paul  set  forth  this  doctrine  when  he 
says  in  his  epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  "By  grace  are  ye  saved 
through  faith ;  and  that  not  of  yourselves :  it  is  the  gift  of  God : 
not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast."  Where  this  doctrine 
is  received  into  the  heart,  and  not  merely  comprehended  by  the 
understanding,  there  is  true  happiness,  there  is  God's  kingdom, 
and  a  truly  h(dy  people. 

But  oh,  how  grossly  do  some  men  abuse  this  precious  doc- 
trine !  Why,  say  they,  if  all  things  are  by  grace,  then  we  need 
not  do  good  Avorks  and  abound  in  them.  If  all  things  are  by 
grace,  what  is  the  use  of  watching,  praying,  searching  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  the  like?  If  by  grace  alone  Ave  are  saved  and  our  good 
works  are  not  taken  into  account,  what  is  the  use  of  crucifying 
the  flesh,  and  toiling  and  laboring  for  God's  kingdom? 

All  such  blasphemous  thoughts  are  most  vigorously  de- 
nounced by  the  parable  of  our  Gospel.  Here  the  whole  world 
is  pictured  as  a  market  place,  where  the  people  are  standing 
about  idle  and  know  not  what  to  do ;  Avhile  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  pictured  as  a  vineyard,  where  all  are  kept  busy.  Some  enter 
the  vineyard  early  in  the  day,  others  come  later.  All  day  long 
they  come  into  the  vineyard,  some  even  in  the  very  last  hour. 
But  from  the  moment  they  enter  the  vineyard  they  Avork.  They 
are  engaged  for  the  very  purpose  to  labor  in  the  vineyard.  Now 
AA'hat  does  this  teach  us?  It  teaches  us  that  in  the  Lord's  vine- 
yard there  is  no  idleness,  but  restless  activity.  He  that  is  still 
standing  idle  and  doing  nothing  in  a  spiritual  Avay;  he  that  does 
not  seek  God's  kingdom  and  His  rijjhteousness ;  he  that  does  not 
set  his  affection  on  things  al)ove ;  he  that  does  not  run  for  the 
prize  and  fight  for  the  incorruptible  crown,  as  avc  are  told  in  the 
epistle  of  the  day  —  he  is  not  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  not  in  (iod's 
kingdom,  not  a  true  Christian;  no,  he  is  still  standing  idle  in  the 
market  j)lace  of  this  world. 

As  soon  as  you  enter  the  Lord's  vineyai<l,  my  friend,  you 
will  toil  mid  labor  for  your  Loid  and  Master,  and  faithfully  do 


SEPTUAGESIIVIA    SUNDAY.  lUl 

your  share  of  the  work  which  He  assigns  to  you.     And  what  will 
you  work  for?     Not  to  gain  heaven  by  the  labor  of  your  hands. 

Not  the  labor  of  your  hands 
Can  fulfill  the  Law's  demands. 
Could  your  zeal  no  respite  know, 
Could  your  tears  forever  flow, 
All  for  sin  could  not  atone, 
Christ  has  saved,  and  He  alone. 

Christ  has  already  gained  heaven  for  all  men  by  His  merits,  by 
His  innocent  suffering  and  death ;  and  as  soon  as  you  enter  His 
vineyard,  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  life,  and  salvation  is  freely  pre- 
sented to  you  and  made  yours  by  faith.  You  will  hibor  for  the 
Lord  prompted  by  gratitude.  You  will  feel  as  though  you  could 
not  do  enough  for  Him,  since  He  has  done  so  much  for  you,  for- 
giving you  all  your  sins,  healing  all  your  diseases,  delivering  your 
life  from  destruction,  and  crowning  you  with  loving  kindness  and 
tender  mercies.  It  will  be  a  pleasure  for  you  to  toil  and  labor  in 
God's  kingdom.  Your  faith,  if  true  and  sincere,  cannot  but  produce 
good  works.  Is  it  not  impossible  for  the  sun  to  be  without  light  and 
for  the  fire  to  be  without  warmth?  Behold,  just  as  impossible  is  it 
for  a  true  Christian,  whose  heart  is  filled  with  God's  love,  not  to 
do  the  Avorks  of  love  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  but  to  stand  idle,  and 
to  say,  I  am  saved  by  grace  through  faith  alone,  therefore  I  need 
not  toil  and  labor  in  the  vineyard,  I  need  not  perform  good  works. 
Examine  your  own  life,  my  friend.  You  toil  and  labor,  you 
diligently  perform  the  works  of  your  earthly  calling,  that  you 
mio-ht  get  along  in  the  world.  That  is  right.  But  what  labor  do 
you  perform  in  the  Lord's  vineyard  into  which  God  has  called 
you  from  the  market  place  of  this  world?  Where  are  the  fruits 
of  your  faith  ?  In  what  manner  are  you  making  yourself  useful 
in  the  Lord's  vineyard?  Are  3^ou  doing  your  part  and  share  of 
the  work  to  be  accomplished  for  the  extension  of  God's  kingdom 
and  for  the  glorification  of  His  holy  name?  Are  you  doing  all 
you  can  for  the  Lord  ?  Do  you  not  mind  going  to  some  trouble 
and  inconvenience  ?  Do  you  give  freely  and  willingly  to  support 
the  Lord's  cause?  Do  you  deny  yourself  certain  things  for  the 
Lord's  sake?  Or  do  you  think,  If  others  are  fools  enough  to 
sacrifice  themselves  for  the  Lord  and  to  labor  in  the  sweat  of 
their  brow,  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  let  them  do  so;   so  much  the 


\{\-2  sErruAOEsniA  sinday. 

better  for  me;  I  shall  labor  as  little  as  possible,  pay  as  little  as 
l)()ssible,  exert  myself  us  little  as  i)ossible,  and  the  more  others 
do  the  less  shall  l)e  required  of  me?  If  such  is  your  principle, 
vou  are  sadly  deceiving  yourself.  The  others  are  not  the  fools, 
l)ut  you  are  the  fool;  and  may  the  Lord  grant  that  you  perceive 
your  folly  in  good  time. 

Do  not  say  to  me,  Those  who  were  called  and  did  their  work 
in  the  eleventh  hour  also  received  the  reward,  and  so  will  I  wait 
until  the  eleventh  hour,  until  I  am  old  and  death  is  nigh,  and 
then  I  will  quickly  repent  and  get  to  heaven.  True,  Christ  is 
ever  ready  to  receive  penitent  sinners.  He  pardoned  the  dying 
thief.  But  how  do  }'ou  know  whether  you  will  attain  to  old  age, 
or  whether  you  will  tind  time  to  fix  your  account  with  God? 
Mav  not  death  come  very  suddenly?  And  can  you  bring  forth 
the  same  excuse  which  those  had  who  were  called  in  the  eleventh 
hour?  When  the  householder  asked  them,  "  Wh//  stand  ye  here 
all  tin  (hiij  idle?''  did  they  not  make  answer  and  say,  ""Because 
no  iiKiii  hdth  Jdred  US'" ?  Can  you  offer  such  an  excuse?  Did  not 
the  Lord  call  upon  you  in  His  divine  Word  and  entreat  you  many 
a  time  to  go  into  His  vineyard?  O,  then  harden  not  j^our  own 
heart.  Engage  in  the  Lord's  service.  He  is  ever  ready  to  receive 
you.  (to,  that  is,  repent  of  your  sins  with  a  sincere  heart  and 
seek  refuge  with  the  Savior  Jesus,  who  bled  and  died  for  you. 
And  tiuis  you  shall  be  in  the  vineyard,  and  your  heart  shall  be 
filled  with  a  fervent  desire  to  serve  God  and  to  labor  for  Him 
and  for  His  cause. 

11. 

And  your  labor  shall  not  be  without  a  reward. 

8i)eaking  of  the  reward  we  must  l)ear  two  things  in  mind. 
First,  that  we  merit  absolutely  nothing  by  our  labor  in  the  Lord's 
vinevard,  and  second,  tiiat  nevertheless  every  laborer  shall  receive 
his  reward. 

Tiie  main  [jurpose  of  our  CJospel,  as  stated  before,  is  to  show 
that  the  work  in  God's  kingdom  is  not  done  for  compensation, 
that  we  merit  nothing  by  all  the  labor  we  perform  for  Christ's 
sak«'.  This  is  plainly  shown  by  the  fact  that  all  lal)orers  are  paid 
alike,  every  one  receives  the  stipulated  price,  which  is  a  penny. 
An<l   when  those-  who  had  been  engaged  early  in  the  nu)rning. 


SEPTLAUKSIMA    .SINDAV.  103 

'•^murmured  against  the  (loodman  of  the  house,  saying,  Tliese  last 
have  ivrougJit  hut  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  unto 
us,  which  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day,''  what 
answer  did  they  receive?  "i/e  answered  one  of  them,  and  said. 
Friend,  I  do  thee  no  ivrong :  didst  not  thou  agree  loith  me  for  a 
penny?  Take  that  thine  is,  and  go  thy  way:  I  will  give  unto 
this  last,  even  as  unto  thee.  Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what 
I  ivill  loith  mine  own?     Is  tJnne  eye  evil,  because  I  am  good?"" 

We  must  know  that  God  is  our  Lord  and  Master.  In  this 
respect  our  relation  to  God  is  the  same  as  that  of  a  slave  to  his 
master.  The  slave  does  not  earn  anything  by  his  labor,  and  is  in 
duty  bound  to  do  all  the  work  he  can.  So  Ave  are  in  duty  bound 
to  our  God  and  Creator.  It  is  not  optional  with  us  to  work  in 
His  vineyard,  or  to  stand  idle  in  the  market  place  of  this  world, 
just  as  it  may  suit  our  own  fancy.  No ;  the  lal>or  in  His  vine- 
yard is  something  we  owe  Him,  something  we  must  do,  and  we 
have  no  compensation  to  claim.  Jesus  therefore  says  in  the 
Gospel  according  to  St.  Luke,  "Which  of  you,  having  a  servant 
plowing,  or  feeding  cattle,  will  say  unto  him  by  and  by,  when  he 
is  come  from  the  field,  Go  and  sit  down  to  meat?  And  will  not 
rather  say  to  him,  Make  ready  wherewith  I  may  sup,  and  gird 
thyself,  and  serve  me,  till  I  have  eaten  and  drunken;  and  after- 
ward thou  shalt  eat  and  drink  ?  Doth  he  thank  that  servant  be- 
cause he  did  the  things  that  were  commanded  him?  I  trow  not. 
So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  shall  have  done  all  those  things  which 
are  commanded  you,  say.  We  are  unprofitable  servants:  we  have 
done  that  which  was  our  duty  to  do."  So  it  is  not  more  than 
a  plain  duty  of  ours  to  labor  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  who 
created  us,  and  gave  us  life  and  existence,  and  preserves  us  from 
day  to  day.  A  compensation  for  our  labors  in  His  vineyard  is 
altogether  out  of  question. 

Nevertheless,  my  friends,  God  has  promised  us  that  we 
should  be  abundantly  rewarded  for  all  the  labor  we  perform  in 
His  vineyard.  His  grace  and  mercy  is  so  bountiful  that  He  not 
only  gives  us  eternal  life  for  the  sake  of  His  beloved  Son,  but 
also  an  additional  glory  in  heaven  according  to  the  pleasure  of 
His  grace.  Did  not  Jesus  say,  "Whosoever  shall  give  you  a  cup 
of  water  to  drink  in  my  name,  because  ye  belong  to  Christ,  verily 
I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward"  ?    Whatever  you  may 


104  SEXACiESIMA    SLXDAY. 

do  in  the  fiiitli  of  the  Son  of  God,  every  stroke  in  the  Lord's 
vineyard,  even  the  least  and  most  imperfect  Avork,  every  mite 
given  to  the  Lord,  every  prayer  ascending  into  heaven,  every 
good  deed  proceeding  from  a  truly  believing  heart,  shall  be  re- 
warded in  heaven.  Mark  well,  heaven  itself  is  not  the  reward. 
Heaven  has  already  been  gained  for  us  all  by  Jesus'  l)lessed  work 
of  the  redemption.  Rut  in  heaven,  after  we  have  entered  the  bliss- 
ful mansions,  we  shall  be  rewarded  by  our  good  God  and  Lord. 

O  mv  friends,  how  ready  and  willing  should  we  be  to  work 
while  it  is  day,  ere  the  night  conieth  when  no  man  can  work,  to 
take  part  in  the  Lord's  work  wherever  we  can,  wherever  there 
is  an  oi)poi'tunity  for  us:  to  pray  diligently  in  our  homes  and  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord,  to  give  for  the  support  of  God's  kingdom, 
not  as  little,  Init  as  much  as  possible;  to  bear  our  crosses  with 
patience;  to  aid  the  })oor  and  to  help  those  who  are  in  distress; 
in  short,  to  labor  in  the  Lord's  vineyard  ! 

Let  us  never  tire,  then,  of  our  blessed  work.  Let  us  re- 
member the  words  of  St.  Paul,  "He  which  soweth  sparingly''  shall 
reap  also  sparingly ;  and  he  which  soweth  bountifully  shall  reap 
also  bountifully."  Let  us  run  that  we  may  obtain  the  prize, 
and  never  be  weary  in  welldoing,  until  of  us  it  may  be  said, 
"Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth: 
Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors  ;  and 
their  works  do  follow  them."  Ma}'^  God  grant  us  this  for  Jesus' 
sake.     Amen. 


SEXAGESIMA  SUNDAY. 


LUKK  K,  4 — 15. 

And  when  much  people  were  fjathered  together,  and  were  come  to  him  out 
of  every  city,  he  spake  l)y  a  paral)le:  A  sower  went  out  to  sow  his  seed:  and  as 
he  sowed,  some  fell  l)y  tiie  way  side;  and  it  was  trodden  down,  and  tlie  fowls  of 
tiie  air  devoured  it.  And  some  fell  upon  a  rock;  and  as  soon  as  it  was  sjirunj; 
np,  it  withered  away,  because  it  lacked  moisture.  And  some  fell  amontr  thorns; 
and  tiie  tliorns  spraiifi  up  with  it,  and  choked  it.  And  other  fell  on  good  ground, 
and  si)rang  up,  and  bare  fruit  an  hundredfold.  And  when  he  had  said  these 
tilings,  he  cried,  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.  And  his  disciples 
asked  liim,  saying,  Wliat  might  tliis  parable  be?  And  he  said.  Unto  you  it  is 
given  to  know  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  fiod :  but  to  otliers  in  paral)les; 
that  seeing  they  miglit  not  .see,  and  lieariug  liiey  might  uot  understand.     Now 


SEXAGESliMA    SUNDAY.  105 

the  parable  is  this:  The  seed  is  the  word  of  God.  Those  by  tlie  way  side  are 
they  that  hear;  then  cometh  tlie  devil,  and  taketh  away  the  word  out  of  their 
hearts,  lest  they  should  believe  and  be  saved.  They  on  tlie  rock  are  they,  which, 
when  they  hear,  receive  the  word  with  joy,  and  these  liave  no  root,  whicli  for  a 
while  believe,  and  in  time  of  temptation  fall  away.  And  that  which  fell  among 
thorns  are  they,  which,  when  they  have  heard,  go  forth,  and  are  choked  with 
cares  and  riches  and  pleasures  of  this  life,  and  bring  no  fruit  to  perfection.  But 
that  on  the  good  ground  are  they,  which  in  an  honest  and  good  heart,  having 
heard  the  word,  keep  it,  p.nd  bring  forth  fruit  with  patience. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ  : 

"  Unto  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mysteries  of  the  Mngdom 
of  God:  but  to  others  in  pai-ables ;  that  seeing  they  might  not  see, 
(ind  hearing  they  might  not  understand.''''  These  words  of  our 
Gospel  almost  sound  as  if  it  were  God's  will  that  some  people 
f^hould  not  understand  and,  therefore,  should  not  derive  any 
benefit  from  the  Word  of  God,  though  they  hear  it. 

The  doctrine  of  Calvin  actually  maintains  that  the  reason 
why  so  many  derive  no  benefit  from  the  divine  Word  is,  because 
God,  according  to  the  unsearchable  counsel  of  His  own  will, 
*' whereby  He  extendeth  and  withholdeth  mercy  as  He  pleaseth," 
passes  by  and  does  not  effectually  call  them  through  the  Gospel. 
The  Word  sounds  in  their  ears,  but  it  is  ineffectual  with  them, 
besause  God  has  not  predestinated  them  unto  everlasting  life, 
but  foreordained  them  to  everlasting  death :  such  is  the  Calvin- 
istic  theory. 

And  does  not  this  exjDlanation  seem  very  plausible  ?  Whence 
that  great  difference  between  the  hearers  of  the  divine  Word? 
Why  is  it  that  some  are  so  quickly  moved  by  the  preaching  of 
the  Word,  and  others  are  not  moved  at  all?  Some  there  be  who 
are  deeply  impressed  when  they  hear  the  sermon.  They  are 
aroused  from  their  sinful  slumber.  They  are  made  to  rejoice 
over  their  salvation.  They  are  comforted  in  their  distresses. 
Others  there  be  who  seem  to  experience  nothing  of  the  kind, 
though  they  hear  the  same  divine  Word.  The  preaching  leaves 
them  cold  and  indifferent.  Neither  are  they  frightened  by  the 
preaching  of  the  Law,  nor  are  their  hearts  gladdened  by  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel.  They  draw  no  comfort  from  the  divine 
Word.  And  if  their  hearts  should  be  moved  to  some  extent  dur- 
ing a  sermon,  it  is  only  a  transient  emotion  and  does  not  last. 
Why  is  it,  then,  that  these  derive  no  l)enefit  from  the  Word? 


lOtJ  SEXAGf:si.MA    SINDAV. 

"NVliv  is  it  that  unto  tluMii  the  Word  of  (lod  is  preached  in  vain, 
while  others  experience  all  the  blessings  that  are  connected  with 
God's  Word?  Calvin's  doctrine,  which  sa^s,  God  passes  by  and 
does  not  effectually  call  them,  seems  to  explain  the  situation 
at   once. 

But  this  explanation  is  utterly  wrong.  It  contradicts  the 
Scriptures  throughout.  If  there  is  au}^  truth  explicitly  stated  in 
the  Bible,  it  is  this,  that  God  wills  not  the  sinner's  death,  that 
He  desires  that  all  men  should  be  saved,  that  with  Him  there  is 
no  respect  of  jx-rsons,  that  His  Word  is  intended  for  the  salva- 
tion of  all  that  hear  it  preached  unto  them. 

The  words  of  Christ,  '■'■That  seeing  they  might  not  see,  and 
hearing  they  might  not  understand,''  do  not  mean  to  say,  it  were 
God's  will  that  some  people  should  not  understand  His  Word. 
They  merely  explain  why  the  Lord  began  to  speak  in  i)arables. 
Before  this  He  had  preached  the  Gospel  in  plain  words,  without 
the  use  of  figures  and  illustrations.  This  the  people  despised. 
Now  He  spok(!  in  j)arables,  in  illustrations  taken  from  earthly 
things,  and  '-'■ivJn'n  lie  had  said  these  things,  He  cried,  He  that  hath 
ears  to  hear.  Jet  him  hear.''  His  intention  was  not  that  the  people 
should  not  understand  His  words,  but  that  they  should  search,  as 
did  the  disciples,  for  the  hidden  meaning  of  His  parables. 

The  triu>  reason,  then,  why  so  many  derive  no  benefit  from 
the  hearing  of  the  divine  Word  is  not  to  be  sought  in  God's  will, 
as  if  God  did  not  want  them  to  understand,  but  in  their  own  sin- 
ful hearts.  This  is  shown  in  the  parable  of  our  Gos})el.  Accord- 
ingly, let  us  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

thp:  trie  keasox  why  so  3[any  derive  no  benefit  from 
the  heahixg  of  the  word  of  god. 

It  is  because  their  own  hearts  resemble, 
I.    Eitln^r  tiif  ir(ti/side, 
II.    Or  tin'  rocky  soil, 
III.    Or  the   thorny  soil. 

I. 

"yl  sower  ircnf  out  to  soir  his  seed:  and  as  he  soived,  some 
fell  hy  tJic  way  sidi  ;  ami  it  ir(is  trodden  down,  and  the  fo ids  of 
the  air  devoured  if/'  This  is  the  beixinninjr  of  the  i)arable.  And 
here  is  the  explanation,  "  VV/c  seed  is  the  Word  of  God .     Those 


SEXAGESIMA    SLXDAV.  107 

hy  the  way  side  are  they  that  hear;  then  tometh  the  devil,  and 
taketh  away  the  Word  out  of  their  hearts,  le^t  they  should  believe 
and  be  saved.^'' 

So  there  is  a  class  of  men  whose  hearts  resemble  the  way- 
side. When  the  sower  w^alks  along  the  edge  of  the  field,  casting 
out  his  seed  by  the  handful,  some  of  the  seed  will,  perhaps,  t^et 
beyond  the  tilled  soil  and  fall  on  the  road,  where  it  is  crushed 
under  the  feet  of  those  who  walk  by,  and  the  birds  come  and  de- 
vour it.  What  a  striking  illustration  of  some  of  the  hearers  of 
the  divine  Word  !  There  are  some  such  people  as  get  an  occa- 
sional seed  of  God's  Word,  a  stray  seed,  so  to  say,  which  falls  on 
the  wayside.  They  are  not  regular  attendants  at  church.  They 
drop  in  occasionally,  or  when  there  is  something  going  on,  or 
they  attend  the  divine  service  merely  to  please  some  one  else. 
Still,  they  hear,  as  Christ  says.  But  what  fate  does  the  holy 
Word  of  God  meet  with  when  they  hear  it  proclaimed  to  them, 
and  feel  how  it  strikes  them  and  wants  to  take  root  in  the  depth 
of  their  souls?  It  is  trodden  down  and  crushed.  Perhaps  their 
souls  were  prejudiced  before  they  entered  the  house  of  God,  and 
they  only  came  wnth  the  avowed  purpose  to  be  confirmed  in  such 
prejudice,  to  gather  evidences  against  the  Christian  faith  and  doc- 
trine, to  find  fault  somewhere,  and  afterwards  to  put  to  ridicule 
what  they  heard  the  preacher  say.  Or,  perhaps,  they  are  so  in- 
different as  to  pay  no  attention  to  the  sermon,  and  sit  there  with 
staring  eyes,  but  their  thoughts  far  away,  and  with  open  ears  tak- 
ing in  the  sounds,  but  not  the  words,  so  that  seeing  they  do  not 
see,  and  hearing  they  do  not  understand.  And  what  is  the  out- 
come? '''■Then  cometh  the  devil,  and  taketh  away  the  Word  out 
of  their  hearts,  lest  they  should  believe  and  be  saved.""  Like  as 
the  fowl  of  the  air  pick  up  the  seed  on  the  wa3^side,  so  does  the 
devil  take  away  from  their  hearts  the  divine  Word,  so  that  there 
is  not  a  trace  of  it  left  to  do  them  any  good,  to  save  them  from 
his  power,  from  sin  and  from  death,  and  to  fill  their  souls  with 
true  consolation  and  with  the  hope  of  eternal  life. 

What,  then,  is  the  true  reason  why  these  people  derive  no 
benefit  from  the  hearing  of  the  divine  Word?  Is  it  because  God 
does  not  want  them  to  believe  and  to  be  saved?  No  ;  it  is  because 
the  devil  does  not  want  them  to  believe  and  to  be  saved.  And  the 
devil  could  not  have  any  power  over  them  if  they  did  not  yield  to 


108  SEXAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

him,  if  tlu'ir  hearts  did  not  resemble  the  trodden  wayside  paved 
witii  prejudice  and  indifference,  which  God,  even  while  they  hear 
the  Word,  endeavors  to  remove  from  them,  and  would  actually 
remove,  if  only  they  would  not  resist  Him  willfully,  and  harden 
their  own  hearts  against  the  divine  truth. 

11. 

The  second  class  of  those  who  derive  no  benefit  from  the 
hearing  of  the  divine  Word  are  they  who  resemble  the  rocky  soil. 
The  Lord  says  in  the  parable,  ''And  some  fell  upon  a  rod-;  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  sjjtmng  up,  it  withered  away,  because  it  lacked 
moisture.''  And  this  is  the  explanation,  ''They  on  the  rock  are 
they,  ivhich,  ivhen  they  hear,  receive  the  Word  with  joy;  and 
these  have  no  root,  ivhich  for  a  while  believe,  and  in  time  of 
temptation  fall  away.""  When  the  seed  drops  on  the  rock  which 
is  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  ground,  the  moisture  in  the  soil 
and  the  heat  from  above  will  cause  it  to  sprout  in  a  short  time ; 
and  the  blades  will  come  forth  very  promising.  Alas  !  there  is 
no  room  in  such  a  thin  layer  for  the  roots  to  grow.  The  sun 
scorches,  the  moisture  evaporates,  the  ground  becomes  parched, 
and  everything  withers  away.  This  is  a  portraiture  of  not  a  few 
hearers  of  the  divine  Word.  There  are  people  who  are  easily 
moved.  They  do  not  harden  their  hearts  with  prejudice  and  in- 
difference, as  does  the  first  class.  Their  prejudices,  if  they  enter- 
tain such,  are  quickly  removed,  and  their  indifference  is  com- 
pletely overcome,  while  they  hear  the  precious  Gospel  telling 
them  that  God  loved  them  so  dearly,  in  spite  of  their  sinfulness, 
and  has  given  His  only  begotten  Son  to  die  for  them,  that  they 
might  live.  They  are  truly  converted.  They  believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  with  a  true  heart.  They  begin  a  new  life  that  is 
pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God.  They  are  God's  dear  children,  and 
walk  in  the  narrow  way  that  leads  to  eternal  life. 

But  no  Christian  can  walk  that  way  unencumbered  and  un- 
disturbed. Temptations  will  and  must  come.  These  enthusiastic 
Christians  are  assailed  by  the  devil,  the  world,  and  tlieir  own  sin- 
ful flesh.  They  are  prevailed  upon  to  leave  the  narrow  way  and 
to  enter  upon  the  broad  way  which  is  so  agreeable  to  tlie  flesh. 
And  behold,  just  as  easily  as  they  were  converted,  they  are  again 
perverted;  just  as  easily  as  they  were  moved  to  believe  in  the 


SEXAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  1()9 

Lord  Jesus,  just  as  easily  are  they  induced  to  cast  away  that 
l)recious  faith  and  to  join  the  world  with  its  evil  lusts. 

And  let  me  tell  you  right  here,  such  time -Christians,  such 
unreliable  Christians  are  frequently  those  who  are  converted  in 
revival  meetings,  if  a  conversion  takes  place  at  all.  You  know 
about  these  revival  meetings.  A  so-called  evangelist  is  enffaged 
to  stir  up  the  people,  because  there  is  a  sort  of  spiritual  stag- 
nation and  the  pastor's  sermons  are  ineffective.  Big  crowds  as- 
semble. A  o;reat  show  is  made  about  the  good  work  that  is  being 
done  and  about  the  large  number  of  those  who  are  being  con- 
verted.  Alas  !  when  the  noted  evangelist  has  departed,  or  even 
before  that,  the  enthusiasm  dies  away,  and,  perhaps,  within  a 
few  weeks  the  majority  of  those  newly  converted  Christians  are 
again  outside  of  the  pale  of  the  Christian  church;  and  though 
a  great  ado  had  been  made  in  the  press  about  the  number  of  con- 
versions, the  great  number  of  backsliders  is  never  made  public. 

But  what  is  the  true  reason  why  these  backsliders  derive  no 
benefit  from  the  hearing  of  the  divine  Word?  Why  is  it  that 
they  lose  the  faith  and  join  the  world,  like  Demas?  Is  it  because 
the  Lord  God  neglected  them  and  did  not  endow  them  with  suffi- 
cient grace  and  power  to  withstand  those  temptations  and  to  re- 
main in  the  faith  ?  No ;  it  is  because  their  own  hearts  resemble 
the  rocky  soil  which  produces  no  fruit.  The  Word  of  God  wdiich 
they  hear  is  mighty  to  change  their  hearts,  and  the  grace  which 
they  receive  is  powerful  and  sufficient  to  keep  them  in  the  nar- 
row way.  But  they  refuse  to  obey  the  Word  when  temptations 
come  upon  them.  They  resist  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  warns  them 
and  prevails  upon  them  to  stand  firm.  And  so  the  fault  lies  with 
them.  They  themselves  are  to  blame  for  not  deriving  any  benefit 
from  the  hearing  of  the  divine  Word. 

III. 

The  third  class  of  hearers  deriving  no  enduring  benefit  from 
the  hearing  of  the  divine  Word,  are  those  who  resemble  the  thorny 
soil.  The  Lord  says  in  the  parable,  ^^And  some  fell  ainong  thorns; 
and  the  thorns  sprang  up  with  it,  and  choked  it.''  And  this  is  the 
explanation,  "vlncZ  that  ivldcJi  fell  atnong  thorns  are  they,  which, 
when  they  have  heard,  go  forth,  and  are  choked  with  cares  and 
riches  and  pleasures  of  this  life,  and  bring  no  fruit  to  perfection.'^ 


110  SEXAGKSI.MA    SLNDAY. 

The  seed  which  falls  on  the  thorny  soil  will  certainly  grow.  But 
the  thorns  also  will  grow;  and  thorns  are  weeds  that  will  thrive 
and  "-et  ahead  of  good  iilants.  In  a  short  while  the  thorns  wnll  be 
masters  of  the  tiold,  and  the  good  seed  will  be  choked  and  re- 
tarded in  its  growth,  so  that  it  will  not  yield  fruit  to  perfection. 
And  thus  it  is  with  many  hearers  of  the  divine  Word.  They  ap- 
pear to  be  true  Christians,  as  far  as  the  outward  profession  goes. 
They  neither  show  and  manifest  their  dislike  of  the  Christian 
faith,  as  does  the- first  class;  nor  do  they  profess  Christianity 
only  for  a  while  and  then  fall  away,  as  does  the  second  class. 
They  are  outward  members  of  the  church  and  remain  such.  They 
make  use  of  the  means  of  grace.  They  hear  the  preaching  of 
the  Word  of  God  and  come  to  the  holy  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  They  seem  to  manifest  a  desire  to  provide  for  the  eter- 
nal welfare  of  their  immortal  souls.  They  seem  really  to  seek 
the  kinc^dom  of  God  and  His  righteousness.  But  there  are  other 
things  which  they  crave  for,  and  which  so  completely  occupy  their 
hearts  as  to  crowd  out  and  subdue  their  Christianity.  They  have 
earthly  cares  and  earthly  troul^les  which  draw  away  their  minds 
from  heaven.  They  chase  after  riches  and  have  set  their  mind 
on  wealth.  They  seek  worldly  enjoyments  and  do  not  shrink 
back  from  i)artaking  of  those  sinful  pleasures  in  which  the  chil- 
dren of  this  world  lind  their  joy.  In  short,  the}^  want  to  serve 
two  masters,  God  and  this  world.  And  that  is  a  thing  which  no 
one  can  do.  The  world  will  make  slaves  of  such  double-faced 
Christians,  slaves  that  are  Christians  merely  by  name,  but  not 
in  truth.  Though  tliey  hear  the  Word  of  God  and  ajjparently 
receive  a  blessing  therefrom,  they  will  not  live  up  to  the  Word 
and  will  deny  by  their  lives  what  they  profess  with  their  mouths. 

What,  then,  is  the  true  reason  why  these  derive  no  l)enetit 
from  the  hearing  of  the  divine  Word,  why  they  do  not  bring  fruit 
to  perfection  ?  The  true  reason  is  to  be  sought  in  their  own  hearts, 
which  resemble  the  thorny  soil.  There  is  always  in  the  Word 
whieh  they  hear  the  jjower  to  change  their  hearts  and  to  overcome 
th«'  cares  and  riches  and  pleasures  of  this  life.  But  they  refuse 
to  yield  to  the  j)Ower  of  the  Word  and  prefer  to  follow  their  own 
incliiialioMs. 

My  dear  fi'icnds,  let  us  always  be  careful  not  to  resist  within 
ourselves  when  we  hear  what  (iod  has  to  say  to  us.    Let  us  always 


QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  Ill 

submit  to  the  divine  influence  of  God's  Word.  Our  hearts  shall 
then  resemble  neither  the  wayside,  nor  the  rocky  soil,  nor  the 
thorny  soil,  but  the  good  ground.  We  shall  continually  enjoy  the 
benefits  which  the  Lord  has  promised  unto  them  that  hear  His 
Word  devoutly,  and  our  true  portrait  we  shall  find  in  the  last 
words  of  our  Gospel,  where  the  Lord  says,  "^w<  that  on  the  good 
ground  are  they,  which  in  an  honest  and  good  heart,  having  heard 
the  Word,  keep  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit  with  patience.''    Amen. 


QUINQUAGESIMA  SUNDAY. 


Luke  18,  31—43. 
Then  he  took  unto  him  the  twelve,  and  said  unto  them,  Behold,  we  go  up 
to  Jerusalem,  and  all  things  that  are  written  by  the  prophets  concerning  the 
Son  of  man  shall  be  accomplished.  For  he  shall  be  delivered  unto  the  Gentiles, 
and  shall  be  mocked,  and  spitefully  entreated,  and  spitted  on :  and  they  shall 
scourge  him,  and  put  him  to  deatli :  and  tlie  third  day  he  shall  rise  again.  And 
they  understood  none  of  these  tilings:  and  this  saying  was  hid  from  them, 
neither  knew  tliey  the  tilings  which  were  spoken.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  as 
he  was  come  nigh  unto  Jericho,  a  certain  blind  man  sat  by  the  way  side  beg- 
ging: and  hearing  the  multitude  pass  by,  he  asked  what  it  meant.  And  they 
told  him,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by.  And  he  cried,  saying,  Jesus, 
thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And  they  which  went  before  rebuked 
him,  that  he  should  hold  his  peace :  but  he  cried  so  much  the  more.  Thou  son 
of  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And  Jesus  stood,  and  commanded  him  to  be 
brought  unto  him :  and  when  he  was  come  near,  he  asked  him,  saying,  What 
wilt  thou  that  I  shall  do  unto  thee?  And  he  said,  Lord,  that  I  may  receive  my 
sight.  And  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Receive  thy  sight:  thy  faith  hath  saved  thee. 
And  immediately  he  received  his  sight,  and  followed  him,  glorifying  God :  and 
all  the  people,  when  they  saw  it,  gave  praise  unto  God. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

'■'■They  understood  none  of  these  things:  and  this  saying  was 
hid  from  tJtem,  neitlier  kneio  they  the  things  which  were  spoken.'''' 
This  is  what  St.  Luke  has  to  say  of  the  disciples,  after  the  Lord 
had  told  them  in  plain  words  that  now  they  were  going  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  that  there  He  must  suffer  and  die.  None  of  these 
things  did  they  understand.  How  is  this  to  be  accounted  for? 
Could  the  Lord  speak  any  plainer  than  He  did?  Were  not  His 
words  as  clear  and  simple  as  they  could  be  to  communicate  unto 
them  the  information  that  He  was  to  suffer  and  to  die?    '■'Behold, 


112  QUINQUAGESI>L\    SUNDAY. 

we  go  up  to  Jeinimleni,  and  all  things  that  are  ivritten  by  the 
prophet  a  concerning  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  accomplished.  For 
lit  shall  be  delivered  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  shall  be  mocked,  and 
spittfully  entreated,  and  spitted  on;  and  they  shall  scourge  Him, 
and  put  Ilini  to  death.""  How  can  it  be  possible  for  anyone 
not  to  understand  sueli  plain  and  simple  language?  The  Lord 
certainly  spoke  to  them  in  their  own  native  tongue.  And  this 
they  did  not  understand?     What  are  we  to  make  of  that? 

The  solution  of  this  i)roblem  is  obvious.  St.  Luke  does  not 
say,  They  understood  not  the  words.  These  they  understood  per- 
fectly well.  They  comprehended  as  well  as  we  do  that  the  Lord 
spoke  of  His  suffering  and  death.  St.  Luke  says,  "  TJiey  under- 
stood not  these  THINGS."  How  their  Lord  and  Master  should  be 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  Gentiles  to  suffer  and  to  die  — 
this  is  what  they  could  not  comi)rehend.  It  was  incompatible 
with  their  opinion  of  the  Messiah  and  His  glorious  kingdom. 
They  expected  to  go  to  Jerusalem  and  see  Jesus  enthroned  as 
the  great  King  of  Israel  to  inaugurate  a  new  era  for  the  Jewish 
nation.  Their  own  human  reason  revolted  at  the  idea  that  He, 
who  more  than  once  had  miraculously  escaped  the  murderous 
grasj)  of  His  enemies,  should  now  be  delivered  into  their  hands, 
and  that  He,  who  had  in  thousands  of  cases  soothed  the  pains 
and  healed  the  diseases  of  others  and  had  even  restored  to  life 
the  dead,  should  now  underjro  torments  and  sufferingfs  and  Him- 
self  be  slain.  And  unto  this  day  human  reason  is  prone  to  doubt 
and  to  be  offended  in  the  sufferings  and  death  of  our  beloved 
Savior.  Let  us,  therefore,  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 
consider, 

THE  DOUBTS  AND  OFFENSES  OF  HUMAN  REASON  CONCERNING 
THE  SUFFERING  AND  DEATH  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

We  shall  see, 

I.  Wherein  these  doubts  and  offenses  consist,  and 
II.  How  they  are  removed. 

I. 

Though  the  disciples  could  not  help  understanding  the  literal 
meaning  of  Christ's  words  when  He  said,  '■'-Behold,  we  go  up  to 
Jernsdh  III .  <ni<l  all  fhitigs  fhaf  are  ivritten  by  the  prophets  con- 


QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  113 

cerning  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  accomph'shed.  For  He  shall  he 
delivered  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  shall  he  mocked,  and  spitefully 
entreated,  and  spitted  on;  and  they  shall  scourge  Him,  and  put 
Him  to  death:  and  the  third  day  He  shall  rise  again,''  still  this 
sajnng  was  hid  unto  them.  Doubts  entered  their  minds  as  to 
the  true  meaning  of  these  words.  They  took  it  for  granted  that 
these  words  could  not  be  taken  in  a  literal  sense. 

And  what  were  their  doubts?  They  evidently  considered  it 
both  impossible  and  unnecessary  that  their  Lord  and  Master 
should  suffer  and  die. 

Impossible  they  deemed  it.  Had  they  not  heard  Him  say 
time  and  again  that  He  was  the  true  Son  of  the  livino;  God? 
Had  they  not  beheld  with  their  own  eyes  that  nothing  in  this 
world  could  withstand  His  divine  power?  Had  they  not  recog- 
nized in  Him  the  divine  Master  who  conquered  all  diseases,  all 
the  demons  of  hell,  and  even  death?  And  how  often  had  His 
enemies  attempted  both  with  force  and  with  subtlety  to  appre- 
hend and  to  kill  Him  !  At  Nazareth  they  had  led  Him  to  the 
brow  of  the  hill  whereon  the  city  was  built,  that  they  might 
cast  Him  down  headlong.  And  how  did  He  escape?  Passing 
through  the  midst  of  them  He  went  His  way.  At  Jerusalem  they 
had  sent  officers  to  take  Him  prisoner.  The  officers  went  and 
found  Him  preaching  in  the  market  place.  His  divine  words 
so  affected  them  they  could  not  lay  hands  upon  Him.  Upon 
their  return,  being  asked,  "Why  have  ye  not  brought  Him?" 
they  made  answer,  "Never  man  spake  like  this  Man."  In  the 
temple  the  Jews  had  gone  sheer  mad  when  the  Lord  declared 
unto  them,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  Before  Abraham  was, 
I  am."  They  took  up  stones,  stood  around  Him  in  a  circle,  and 
made  preparations  to  stone  Him  to  death.  He  seemed  doomed 
right  then  and  there.  And  how  did  He  escape?  Majestically 
going  through  the  midst  of  them.  He  passed  out  of  the  temple. 
No  arm  was  able  to  move,  no  stone  was  hurled  at  Him.  Of  such 
things  had  the  disciples  been  eyewitnesses.  Hence  their  doubts 
as  to  the  possibility  of  Christ's  falling  into  the  hands  of  His 
enemies  to  suffer  and  to  die. 

Moreover,  they  also  doubted  the  necessity  of  Christ's  suf- 
fering and  death.  From  the  days  of  their  youth  they  had  been 
taught  that  the  Messiah  would  establish  a  glorious  worldly  king- 


114  QUINQUAGESniA    SUNDAY. 

(lom  and  rule  over  all  the  nations.  All  along  the  Lord  had  been 
in.^tructiii^^  them  and  telling  them  that  His  kingdom  were  not  of 
this  world.  But  they  held  on  to  their  ideas  of  Christ's  worldly 
kingdom.  What  neeessity  was  there  for  Him  to  midergo  such 
things  as  to  suffer,  and  to  die,  and  to  rise  again  from  the  dead? 
Could  lie  not  ascend  the  throne  of  David  without  doing  Him- 
self such  harm?  These,  evidently,  were  their  doubts  as  to  the 
necessity  of  Christ's  suffering  and  death.  And  so  deeply  were 
these  doubts  rooted  in  their  minds  as  to  make  it  impossible  for 
them  to  understand  the  spiritual  nature  of  Christ's  kingdom,  until 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  them  and 
guided  them  into  all  truth. 

From  the  disciples  we  learn  that  human  reason  can  compre- 
hend neither  the  possibility  nor  the  necessity  of  Christ's  suffering 
and  death.  The  deep  humiliation  of  the  Son  of  God  is  a  mys- 
terv  which  human  reason  can  neither  fathom  nor  reveal.  It  is 
and  it  ever  has  been  a  stumbling; -block  to  human  reason  that 
Jesus  should  suffer  and  die  on  the  cross  and,  at  the  same  time, 
be  the  eternal  Son  of  God.  History  proves  and  experience  con- 
firms it.  Nothing  did  the  Jews  and  the  Gentiles  in  the  days  of 
the  apostles  consider  more  foolish  and  ridiculous  than  to  hear 
the  Christians  call  Him  their  God  and  Savior  who  had  been  be- 
trayed by  one  of  His  own  disciples,  mocked,  spitefully  entreated, 
spitted  on,  scourged,  and  finally  nailed  to  the  cross,  and  killed 
like  a  common  criminal. 

The  same  objections  to  the  Bible's  statements  concerning 
the  suffering  and  death  of  God's  eternal  Son  are  made  in  the 
name  of  human  reason  and  common  sense  to  this  day.  How  can 
that  be  possible?  says  the  voice  of  human  reason.  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  the  homeless  man,  Avho  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head; 
who  fled  l)efore  His  persecutors;  who  lay  upon  His  knees  in 
Gethsemane  sorrowful  and  sore  amazed;  who  was  altogether 
helpless  in  the  hands  of  His  enemies;  who  was  taken  captive  and 
bound  })y  the  ofticers,  and  elders,  and  chief  priests;  who  was 
condemned  to  death,  ill-treated,  scourged,  crucified;  who  Him- 
self complained  that  God  had  forsaken  Him,  and  died  such  an 
ignominious  death  —  this  unfortunate  man  should  be  the  Son  of 
(lod?  How  can  that  be  j)ossil)le?  And  even  if  it  were  pos- 
sible—  says  the  voice  of  human  reason — ,  where  is  the  necessity 


QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY,  115 

for  such  proceedings?  The  great  God,  that  Supreme  Being,  who 
created  heaven  and  earth,  who  is  exalted  above  all  things,  who 
lives  in  a  state  of  glory  and  majesty  which  no  mortal  tongue 
can  describe ;  that  great  God  should  descend  from  the  throne  of 
His  divine  glory  and  become  man  for  the  purpose  of  permitting 
Himself  to  l)e  spitefully  entreated  l)y  a  lawless  mob,  to, be  l)uf- 
feted  by  the  vile  hands  of  ruffians,  chastised,  mocked,  murdered? 
Should  God,  the  God  of  love,  be  so  cruel  as  to  lay  upon  His  be- 
loved Son  the  burden  of  the  whole  sinful  world,  all  the  sins  and 
transgressions  of  the  human  race,  and  have  Him  suffer  the  most 
excruciating  pains,  and  shed  His  blood  in  streams,  and  die  a 
miserable  death?  Could  not  the  Almighty  have  devised  some 
other  plan  to  redeem  and  save  the  lost  human  race  than  with  the 
blood  of  His  own  Son?  These,  my  friends,  are  the  doubts  and 
objections  and  offenses  of  human  reason  concerning  the  suffering 
and  death  of  the  Son  of  God. 

II. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  see  how  these  doubts 
and  offenses  may  be  removed. 

Concerning  the  first  doubt  and  offense  of  human  reason,  the 
possibility  of  Jesus'  suffering  and  death,  we  must  admit  that  Jesus 
could  not  be  the  Son  of  God,  if  accidentally  He  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  His  enemies  and  had  suffered  as  a  powerless  victim 
to  their  relentless  enmity.  How  could  an  accident,  how  could 
any  unforeseen  event,  or  fate,  disturb  the  plans  of  the  omniscient 
God?  How  could  human  craftiness  outwit  divine  wdsdom ?  How 
could  any  power  upon  earth  conquer  the  Almighty  and  reverse 
His  decrees?  But  the  foundation  of  this  doubt  and  oifense  has 
been  removed  long  ago  by  the  Scriptures.  For  the  Scriptures 
tell  us  that  Jesus  did  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  His  enemies 
unawares,  because  fate  had  suddenly  turned  against  Him.  The 
Scriptures  tell  us  that  He  did  not  suffer  and  die  unwillingly,  but 
willingly,  according  to  God's  eternal  counsel,  and  to  fulfill  the 
Scriptures.  Read  the  Old  Testament,  and  you  will  find  that  for 
a  period  of  four  thousand  years  God  had  been  proclaiming  to  the 
world  that  His  Son  should  become  man  to  suffer  and  die  for  the 
sins  of  the  world.  Even  the  minutest  occurrences  connected  with 
His  sufferinor  and  death  are  foretold  in  the  Old  Testament.     And 


116  QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

(lid  not  Christ  Himself  show  before  all  men  that  He  could  have 
escaped  and  that  He  was  able  to  resist?  Not  only  did  He  stay 
the  hands  of  those  who  wanted  to  precipitate  Him  from  the  rock 
at  Nazareth,  and  of  those  who  wanted  to  stone  Him  in  the  temple, 
but  even  in  the  hour  of  His  deepest  humiliation  He  exhibited  His 
divine  power.  Scarcely  had  He  risen  to  His  feet  from  that  ter- 
rible struggle  in  Gethsemane,  when  His  majestic  words,  "I  am 
He,"  made  the  motley  crowd,  which  came  to  take  Him  captive, 
go  backward  and  fall  to  the  ground.  He  healed  the  ear  of 
Makinis  wliicli  Peter  had  cut  off  with  his  sword,  and  ])y  the 
simple  words,  "If  ye  seek  mo,  let  these  go,"  He  gained  liberty 
for  His  disciples.  Had  He  only  been  willing  to  do  so.  He  could 
easily  have  laid  all  His  enemies  prostrate  at  His  feet,  and  could 
even  have  descended  from  the  cross,  and  transformed  that  scene 
of  His  humiliation  into  a  scene  of  glory  and  triumph.  But  it 
was  of  His  own  will  that  He  consented  to  reconcile  unto  God 
the  sinful  world  by  His  suffering  and  death.  Willingly  He  came 
into  this  world.  Willingly  He  took  upon  Himself  the  form  of 
a  servant.  Willingly,  and  well  knowing  everything  that  was  in 
store  for  Him,  He  undertook  His  last  journey  to  Jerusalem  to 
fultill  all  things  said  by  the  prophets  concerning  the  Son  of  man. 
Where  is  there  any  room  now  for  human  reason  to  come  in  with 
its  doubts  and  offenses  concerning  the  possibility  of  Jesus'  suffer- 
ing and  death?  They  are  all  removed  by  the  fact  that  Jesus 
suffered  willingly. 

But,  says  human  reason,  was  all  this  necessary?  Could  the 
merciful  God  not  devise  some  other  plan,  a  plan  not  so  cruel  and 
bloody,  to  save  the  human  race?  The  Scriptures  remove  also 
this  second  offense.  The  Scriptures  tell  us  that  God  is  not  only 
merciful,  but  also  just  and  holy,  that  His  justice  demands  full 
puiiisiinu'iit  of  the  transgressors  ;  and  that  He  cannot  be  mer- 
ciful at  the  exi)ense  of  His  justice  and  holiness;  that  He  cannot 
forgive  sin  in  such  a  way  as  to  act  as  if  sin  were  nothing  serious; 
that  God  Himself  did  not  take  any  pleasure  in  the  cruelty  that 
was  connected  with  the  noble  sacrifice  of  His  beloved  Son  for 
the  fallen  human  race;  but  that  this  had  to  be  in  order  to  fully 
atone  for  the  sins  of  all  men  and  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  divine 
justice.  It  is  true,  hy  nature  we  have  correct  ideas  neither  of 
the  (liiiiMiableness  of  sin  nor  of  the  strictness  of  God's  justice. 


QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  117 

By  nature  we  are  disposed  to  look  upon  sin,  as  if  it  were  merely 
a  sort  of  weakness  for  which  we  were  not  so  much  to  blame  ; 
and  we  are  disposed  to  look  upon  the  great  God  in  heaven,  as 
if  He  were  an  over-good  and  lenient  Father  who  overlooks  the 
wrongs  of  His  children  and  lets  their  misdoings  go  unpunished. 
Hence,  to  become  perfectly  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  Jesus' 
bloody  atonement  for  our  sins  we  must,  first  of  all,  be  enlightened 
by  the  holy  Word  of  God.  All  the  doubts  and  offenses  con- 
cerning the  necessity  of  Jesus'  suffering  and  death  will  be  hushed 
in  him  who  yields  to  the  intluence  of  the  divine  Word.  This  we 
may  learn  from  the  latter  part  of  our  Gospel.  There  Ave  read, 
^^And  it  came  to  pass,  that  as  He  was  come  nigh  unto  Jericho,  a 
certain  blind  man  sat  by  the  wayside  begging ;  and  hearing  the 
multitude  pass  by,  he  asked  ivhat  it  meant.  And  they  told  him, 
that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by.  And  he  cried,  saying,  Jesus, 
TJiou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And  they  loliich  went 
before  rebuked  him,  that  he  shoidd  hold  his  peace:  but  he  cried 
so  much  the  more.  Thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And 
Jesus  stood  and  commanded  him  to  be  brought  unto  Him:  and 
when  he  was  come  near.  He  asked  him,  saying.  What  ivilt  thou 
that  I  shall  do  unto  thee  ?  And  he  said,  Lord,  that  I  may  re- 
ceive my  sight.  And  Jesus  said  unto  him.,  Receive  thy  sight: 
thy  faith  hath  saved  thee.  And  immediately  lie  received  his 
sight,  and  followed  Him,  glorifying  God:  and  all  the  people, 
when  they  saw  it,  gave  praise  unto  God.'''' 

This  wonderful  event,  which  occurred  immediately  after  the 
disciples  had  been  made  aware  of  their  own  spiritual  blindness  in 
the  matter  concerning  the  Lord's  suffering  and  death,  goes  to 
show  how  the  natural  man  may  be  cured  of  his  spiritual  blind- 
ness, so  as  to  become  perfectly  convinced  of  the  necessity  of 
Jesus'  suffering  and  death.  Like  the  blind  man  he  nuist,  first 
of  all,  know  that  he  is  blind  spiritually,  and  then  call  upon  Jesus 
the  Savior  to  help  him,  and  to  enlighten  him  with  His  Word  and 
Spirit,  so  that  he  may  see,  that  he  may  behold  the  wonders  of 
His  grace  and  mercy  exhibited  in  the  pains  and  suffering  of  the 
dying  Savior. 

O  blessed  is  he  who  calls  upon  Jesus,  as  did  that  blind  man  ! 
Jesus  will  hear  his  prayer  and  remove  from  him  all  those  doubts 
which  his  own  human  reason  may  produce  concerning  the  Lord's 


118  FIKST    .srXUAY    IX    LENT. 

holy  passion.  The  history  of  the  Lord's  passion  will  be  unto 
him  a  source  of  life  and  salvation,  a  crystal  fountain  whence  the 
healinir  streams  do  flow  that  will  comfort  him  in  life  and  death. 
May  the  Lord  grant  unto  us  all  His  divine  blessing  during 
the  coming  season  of  Lent,  and  strengthen  our  faith  in  us,  while 
we  prayerfully  contemplate  the  sacred  story  of  our  suffering  and 
dying  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


FIRST  SUNDAY  IN  LENT. 


Matt.  4,  1 — 11. 
Then  was  Jesus  led  up  of  the  si)irit  into  the  wilderness  to  be  tempted  of  the 
devil.  And  when  he  liad  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  ni<;hts,  lie  was  afterward 
an  hundred.  And  when  the  tempter  came  to  him,  he  said,  If  thou  be  the  Son  of 
God,  command  tliat  these  stones  be  made  bread.  But  he  answered  and  said.  It 
Is  written,  .Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth 
out  of  the  mouth  of  God.  Tlien  tlie  devil  tal^etli  him  up  into  the  holy  city,  and 
setteth  him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  saith  unto  him.  If  thou  be  the  Sou 
of  God,  cast  tliyself  down :  for  it  is  written.  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  con- 
cerning tliee:  and  in  their  hands  they  shall  bear  tliee  up,  lest  at  any  time  thou 
dash  tliy  foot  against  a  stone.  Jesus  said  unto  him.  It  is  written  again,  Thou 
slialt  not  tempt  the  Lord  tliy  God.  Again,  tlie  devil  tai<;etli  him  up  into  an  ex- 
ceeding higli  mountain,  and  slieweth  him  all  tlie  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the 
glory  of  them;  and  saith  unto  him.  All  these  tilings  will  I  give  thee,  if  tliou  wilt 
fall  down  and  worship  me.  Then  saith  Jesus  unto  him.  Get  thee  hence,  Satan : 
for  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou 
ser\-e.  Then  the  devil  leaveth  him,  and,  behold,  angels  came  and  ministered 
unto  him. 

Beloved  Friends  ix  Christ: 

This  is  a  remarkable  story  —  Christ  tempted  by  the  devil  in 
the  wilderness.  At  tirst  sight  we  arc  at  a  loss  what  to  make  of  it, 
and  w(;  fail  to  see  why  Christ  should  be  tem])ted  of  the  devil.  But 
there  is  a  cause  and  reason  for  everything  Christ  did.  And  the 
reason  why  Jesus  underwent  this  temptation  in  the  wilderness 
was,  because  He  wanted  to  make  amends  for  and  set  aright  the 
failure  of  our  first  parents,  of  Adam  and  Eve,  in  Paradise.  Are 
we  not  told  that  "for  this  purpose  the  Son  of  God  was  manifested 
that  He  might  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil"?  And  what  was 
the  devil's  first  work?  It  was  this.  In  the  form  of  a  serpent  he 
approached  man  in  Paradise  and  tempted  him  to  transgress  God's 


FIRST    SUNDAY    IX    LENT.  IIH 

commandment,  to  perform  an  act  of  disol)oclience  against  the  di- 
vine Maker.  And  behold,  lie  was  successful.  Thouixli  our  first 
parents  jiossessed  the  power  to  resist  Satan  and  to  retain  their 
original  integrity,  yet  they  did  not  stand  tirm  in  the  hour  of  temp- 
tation, but  hearkened  to  the  seducing  voice  of  the  tempter.  Thus 
sin  was  brought  into  the  world  with  all  its  evil  consequences, 
misery,  death,  and  eternal  damnation.  And  it  was  not  merely 
the  individual  that  fell,  it  was  the  race  that  fell  in  Adam  and  Eve. 
For  their  children  were  flesh  of  their  flesh  and  blood  of  their 
blood,  polluted  and  corrupted  with  the  same  sin  with  which  they 
were  infected.  The  fountain  having  been  contaminated,  the  en- 
tire stream  issuing  therefrom  is  stocked  with  germs  of  disease  and 
death.  This  was  the  devil's  work.  But  our  divine  Lord  came  to 
destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.  Scarcely  had  He  been  baptized 
by  John  the  Baptist  and  entered  upon  His  public  ministry,  when 
He  encountered  the  "old  serpent"  in  the  wilderness  and  sub- 
jected Himself  to  the  deceiver's  temptations.  And  lo  !  Jesus 
came  out  victorious.  He  conquered  Satan  for  us,  as  our  Substi- 
tute, and  thereby  won  back  the  battle  which  had  been  lost  in 
Paradise. 

Jesus,  however,  does  not  only  figure  as  our  Substitute  in 
those  temptations  in  the  wilderness.  He  is  our  Guide  at  the  same 
time.  Bj"  His  example  we  may  learn  how  to  stand  firm  in  all  the 
temptations  with  which  we  are  being  beset.  With  the  aid  of  God's 
Holy  Spirit  let  us  consider  the  question, 

HOW  MAY  A  CHRISTIAN  STAND  FIRM  IN  TEMPTATIONS? 

I.  In  temptations  to  use  unlaivful  'means  for  his  sustenance, 

hy  an  implicit  trust  in  God. 
II.  In  temptations  to  believe  false  doctrines,  by  a  strict  ad- 
herence to  the  divine  Word. 
HI.  In  temjytations  to  seek  the  world's  sinful  pleasures,  by  a 
stern  refusal. 

I. 

'■^TJien  ivas  Jesvs  led  up)  of  the  Spirit  into  the  luilderness  to 
he  tempted  of  the  devil.  And  ivJien  He  had  fasted  forty  days  and 
forty  nifjJits,  He  toas  afterncard  an  Jningred.  And  when  the  tempter 
came  to  Him,  he  said.  If  Thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that 

9 


120  FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    LENT, 

these  stones  be  made  hread.''  We  shall  not  enter  upon  the  ques- 
tion here,  in  what  disguise  or  form  the  devil  approached  Jesus 
and  tempted  Ilim.  The  Scriptures  say  nothing  about  this,  and 
all  we  know  is,  that  it  was  the  evil  spirit,  who  had  assumed  the 
form  of  an  intellectual,  rational,  visible  being,  so  that  he  could 
converse  with  Jesus.  Neither  shall  we  enter  into  discussion  with 
those  who  claim  that  the  things  recorded  in  our  Gospel  were  not 
an  actual  occurrence,  but  merely  took  place  in  the  mind  of  elesus 
and  were  a  sort  of  a  vision  which  came  to  His  weakened  mind  in 
consequence  of  a  forty  days'  fast.  There  is  not  the  least  trace 
of  an  indication  pointing  to  such  an  explanation.  Our  text,  on 
the  face  of  it,  is  a  plain,  simple  narrative  describing  what  actually 
took  place ;  and  every  unprejudiced  reader  will  and  must  accept 
it  as  such. 

The  question  with  us  is.  What  did  the  first  temptation  im- 
ply, when  tiie  devil  approached  Jesus  and  said,  "7/"  Thou  be  the 
Soil  of  God,  command  tliat  these  stones  be  made  bread"  7  The 
answer  is.  It  implied  that  Jesus  should  use  unlawful  means  to  pro- 
vide for  His  own  sustenance.  Jesus  was  hungry,  having  fasted 
forty  days  and  forty  nights.  He  was  starved  and  longed  for  some- 
thing to  eat.  Now  the  devil's  object  was  that  Jesus  should  not 
trust  in  His  heavenly  Father,  and  expect  of  Him  to  provide  for 
His  bodily  wants,  but  that  He  should  exert  His  own  power,  if  He 
really  were  the  Son  of  God,  and  turn  stones  into  bread,  against 
the  will  of  the  Father,  who  had  sent  Him  upon  this  earth  to  suffer 
and  to  subject  His  will  to  the  will  of  His  Father  in  heaven,  to  be 
obedient  to  Him  to  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross. 

Does  not  the  devil  tempt  Christians  in  the  same  manner  to 
this  day?  When  you  are  in  want  and  an  opportunity  presents 
itself  to  obtain  money  or  goods  in  an  unlawful  way,  by  practicing 
upon  your  neighbor  a  clever  fraud,  or  by  lottery,  or  gambling, 
or  in  some  otlier  crooked  way,  does  not  the  devil  whisper  into 
your  ear  and  say, 'Here  is  your  chance  !  Why  should  you  be  such 
a  fool  as  to  let  it  sli])?  Go,  do  it  I  Others  do  it,  the  most  re- 
spectable people  do  it.  There  is  no  wrong  in  it,  especially  since 
you  are  in  such  straits  and  difficulties.  When  you  are  ill  at  ease 
about  stolen  or  lost  goods,  or  about  things  that  are  concealed  be- 
fore your  eyes  and  that  you  would  like  to  know,  are  you  not 
tempted  at  times  to  apply  to  clairvoyants,   mediums,  fortune- 


FIKST    SUNDAY    IX    LENT.  121 

tellers,  and  to  find  out  with  their  aid  what  God  does  not  want  you 
to  know?  When  a  disease  has  fastened  upon  you  which  baffles 
medical  skill  and  no  relief  may  be  expected  from  the  physicians, 
are  you  not  tempted  at  times  to  use  witchcraft,  or  to  join  the  so- 
called  Christian  Scientists  who  deny  the  very  existence  of  sin  and 
its  evil  consequences,  and  tell  you  to  simply  believe  that  you  are 
well  and  your  sickness  must  depart  ? 

How  may  a  Christian  stand  firm  in  these  temptations  to  use 
unlawful  means  for  his  sustenance  or  deliverance?  Christ  shows 
us  plainly.  He  answered  the  devil  and  said,  '■'■It  is  ivriffen, 
Man  shall  not  live  hy  bread  alone^  but  by  every  word  that  pro- 
ceedetli  out  of  the  mouth  of  God.'"  The  Lord  quotes  this  passage 
from  the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  where  the  reason  is  stated  why 
God  fed  the  Israelites  with  manna,  namely,  because  He  would 
teach  them  that  man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone.  Jesus  here 
manifests  His  trust  in  the  heavenly  Father,  that  the  Father  is  able 
and  willing  to  provide  for  Him ;  and  that  He  can  do  so  without 
bread,  even  as  He  did  in  the  wilderness  when  He  fed  Israel  forty 
years  with  manna.  Learn  from  Christ,  then,  my  dear  Christian, 
how  to  stand  firm  in  the  temptation  to  use  unlawful  means  for 
your  sustenance  and  deliverance.  Trust  in  God  that  He  will  pro- 
vide for  you  in  some  way.  Trust  in  Him  so  implicitly  as  not  to 
doubt  that  the  affliction  in  which  you  must  remain  is  for  your 
own  good,  and  that  He  will  deliver  you  when  the  right  time  is 
come.  Trust  in  Him,  that  without  His  good  and  gracious  will 
not  a  hair  shall  drop  from  your  head,  and  that  with  Him  yon  are 
always  in  safe  keeping.  And  if  thus  you  trust  in  the  Almighty 
God  you  will  stand  firm  in  the  hour  of  temptation  and  not  think 
of  doing  anything  which  is  incompatible  with  conscience  and  His 
divine  Word. 

II. 

The  second  temptation  is  described  in  the  following  words, 
'■'■Then  the  devil  taketJi  Him  up  into  the  holy  city,  and  setfeth  Him 
on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  saitJt  unto  Him,  If  Thou  he  the 
Son  of  God,  cast  Thyself  dote n:  for  it  is  written,  He  shall  (jive 
His  angels  charge  concerning  thee:  and  in  their  hands  they  shall 
bear  thee  up,  lest  at  any  time  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. '^ 
Now  what  did  this  second  temptation  imply?     It  implied  false 


122  FIRST    SUNDAY    IX    LENT. 

doctrine.  The  false  doctrine  produced  by  the  devil  is,  that  God 
will  protect  those  who  trust  in  Him  and  let  no  harm  come  to  them, 
even  if  wantonl}'  they  expose  themselves  to  danger  and  risk  their 
lives  by  some  foolhardy  act.  Jesus  had  declared  His  trust  in  the 
heavenly  Father  in  point  of  nourishment ;  now  He  should  show 
His  trust  in  point  of  safety.  He  should  leap  from  the  high  roof 
of  the  temple,  and  believe  that  He  would  land  safely  on  the  ground 
below,  because  God's  holy  angels  would  bear  Him  upon  their 
hands.  In  support  of  this  false  doctrine  the  devil  quotes  Scrip- 
ture. But  how  does  he  quote  Scrijjture?  He  omits  the  very 
l)oint  at  issue.  For  the  passage  quoted  from  Psalm  91  reads, 
*'In  all  thy  ways  the  Lord  shall  keep  thee."  "What  does  that 
mean,  "In  all  thy  ways"  ?  It  means.  If  you  go  out  of  3'our  way, 
out  of  the  way  of  your  duty  and  calling,  you  forfeit  the  promise 
and  have  no  claim  to  God's  protection.  Now  these  few  little 
words  overthrow  the  whole  doctrine  of  God's  jirotection  in  fool- 
hardiness,  which  the  devil  meant  to  elicit  from  the  Word  of  God; 
and  therefore  he  cunningly  omitted  them.  It  was  false  doctrine 
with  which  he  temi)ted  Christ. 

Does  not  the  devil  oftentimes  tempt  Christians  in  the  same 
manner  to  this  day?  Is  he  not  constantly  breeding  mischief  by 
false  doctrine?  Are  there  not  false  prophets  almost  everywhere, 
perverting  and  distorting  the  holy  "Word  of  God  by  either  omit- 
tinor  therefrom  or  adding  thereto?  Is  there  not  a  bewildering 
number  of  sects,  each  of  them  deviating  from  God's  plain  "Word 
in  some  point  and  claiming  to  possess  the  truth?  Is  there  a  divine 
truth  Avhich  iSatan  had  not  assailed  and  to  which  he  had  not  given 
some  false  interjjretation?  Docs  he  not  continually  bring  forth 
something;  new,  some  new  doctrine,  or  some  new  method  to  rob 
men  of  their  faith  in  flesus,  the  Savior  from  sin,  aside  from  whom 
there  is  no  salvation  and  none  other  name  under  heaven  given 
among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved? 

How  nuiy  Christians  stand  firm  in  these  temptations  of  false 
doctrine?  Christ  shows  us  i)lainly.  He  simply  said  to  the  devil, 
"//  is  irn'ffcii  (/f/ff/ii,  Tlion  shttlt  )i(>f  fc)i/j)f  tJie  Lord  tlnj  God."^ 
"W^hat  was  the  wc.tpon,  then,  which  Jesus  wielded  against  tlu^ 
tempter,  and  l)y  which  He  wiped  out  his  fiery  darts?  It  was 
the  written  Word  of  God.  The  devil  had  quoted  the  Word  of 
God  to  support  a  false  doctrine  of  his  own  fabrication,  and  had 


FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    LENT.  123 

mutilated  the  Word  to  gain  the  point.  Jesus  quoted  the  Word  of 
God  in  full  l^earing  in  plain  language  upon  the  point  in  question. 
He  stood  firm  in  the  temptation  and  overcame  Satan  by  a  strict 
adherence  to  the  divine  Word.  Learn  from  Christ,  then,  mv  dear 
Christians,  how  to  stand  firm  when  you  are  being  tempted  bv  false 
doctrine.  It  is  a  vain  excuse  for  a  Christian  to  say.  There  are  so 
many  churches,  every  one  of  them  claiming  to  be  right  and  saying 
the  others  were  wrong,  one  does  not  know  whom  or  what  to  be- 
lieve. You  have  the  written  Word  of  God,  the  Bible.  Ever}'^  ques- 
tion of  doctrine  is  settled  in  that  Book.  There  is  nothin<r  to  be 
settled  by  churches,  or  synods,  or  ecclesiastical  bodies.  God  Him- 
self has  settled  everything  once  for  all  in  the  Bible.  Let  neither 
the  traditions  of  men,  nor  the  dictates  of  human  reason,  nor 
the  deceptions  of  your  own  sinful  heart  beguile  you.  Search  the 
Scriptures.  Abide  by  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Avritten  Word 
of  God;  and  if  this  you  do,  you  shall  not  be  deceived  by  false 
doctrine,  even  though  men  endeavor  to  support  it  by  Scripture, 
falsely  quoted,  and  by  wonders  and  signs.  Jesus  distinctly  says, 
"There  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show 
great  signs  and  wonders."  But  if  you  strictly  adhere  to  the 
divine  Word,  you  will  not  be  deceived  by  them. 

III. 

The  third  temptation  is  thus  described:  ^^ Again  the  devil 
iaheth  Him  up  into  an  exceeding  Itigli  mountain,  and  shoiveth 
Uim  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  and  the  glory  of  them;  and 
saith  unto  Him,  All  these  things  will  I  give  Thee,  if  Thou  ivilt 
fall  doion  and  worship  me."'  Now  what  does  this  third  tempta- 
tion imply?  It  was  calculated  to  kindle  in  Jesus  a  desire  for  the 
pleasures  of  this  world.  From  an  exceeding  high  mountain  the 
devil  showed  Him  all  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  and  their  glory. 
This  was  done,  as  Luke  informs  us,  "in  a  moment  of  time."  It 
was  done  in  a  twinkling  of  the  eye.  There  was  a  scene  presented 
to  the  eyes  of  Jesus  which  came  and  went  as  a  flash  of  lightning. 
It  was,  doubtless,  "a  fascinating  delusion  of  Satan  setting  forth 
the  wealth  and  pleasure  and  gayety  of  life  as  indulged  in  by  the 
children  of  the  world;  the  crowns,  and  robes,  and  palaces,  and 
pleasure  gardens,  and  all  the  earthly  power  and  splendor  of  kings 
and  princes."    The  devil  was  sure  that  this  dazzling  picture  must 


124  FIRST    SUNDAY    IX    LENT. 

create  a  profound  impression  and  produce  in  Jesus  a  desire  to 
enjoy  those  pleasures.  Unhesitatingly  he,  therefore,  makes  the 
proposal,  "A/l  (htst  f/thu/s  viU  I  tjive  TAee,  if  Thou  wilt  fall 
down  and  n'ors/iip  me." 

Does  not  the  devil  tempt  Christians  in  the  same  manner  to 
this  day?  Is  not  the  temptation  to  seek  the  world's  sinful  pleas- 
ures the  most  frecjuent  and  the  most  dangerous  delusion  of  the 
prince  of  this  world?  From  the  days  of  the  holy  apostles,  when 
Demas  forsook  Paul,  having  loved  this  present  world,  to  this  day, 
have  not  thousands  u})on  thousands  lost  the  faith  and  swelled  the 
number  of  the  damned,  because  they  withstood  not  the  tempta- 
tion to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of 
life?  Is  not  the  world  and  its  evil  lusts,  the  desire  for  nothing 
])ut  amusements,  enjoyments,  pleasures  the  great  temptation  of 
the  day,  the  temptation  that  tends  to  ruin  our  Christian  con- 
srreo-ations,  and  to  kill  in  them  the  spiritual  life,  and  to  induce 
the  Christians  to  worship  God  with  their  mouths  and  the  devil  in 
their  hearts  and  with  their  works? 

()  my  dear  Christian  hearers,  let  us  stand  firm  in  this  last 
and  severest  tcmi)tation.  Christ  has  shown  us  how.  He  met  the 
devil  with  a  stern  refusal  and  said,  ^^Get  thee  hence,  Satajt :  for 
it  is  2critfen,  Thou  shalt  ivorship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  Him 
onh/  shalt  thou  sei^e.''  Learn  from  Christ,  then,  what  to  do 
when  you  are  tempted  to  seek  the  world's  sinful  pleasures.  When 
the  godless  children  of  this  world  invite  you  to  go  with  them  to 
such  places  as  should  be  shunned  by  Christians,  or  to  do  such 
things  as  are  forbidden  in  the  Lord's  commandments,  the  onl}^ 
way  to  overcome  such  temptations  is,  sternly  and  most  emphat- 
ically to  refuse,  because  God  demands  your  whole  heart  and  not 
only  a  part  of  it,  if  you  would  l)e  His  child.  Say  with  Joseph, 
"How  can  I  do  this  great  wickedness,  and  sin  against  God?" 
Remember  the  apostle's  entreaty:  "Love  not  the  world,  neither 
the  things  that  are  in  the  world.  If  any  man  love  the  world,  the 
love  of  (iod  is  not  in  him.  For  all  that  is  in  the  world,  the  lust 
of  the  flesh,  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life,  is  not 
of  the  Father,  })ut  of  the  world  ;  and  the  world  jiasseth  away  and 
the  lust  thereof:  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  God,  abideth  for- 
ever." Know  that  you  are  actually  worshiping  the  devil,  if  you 
give  \'()ur  h»'ait   to  the  world.      But   blessed  are  they  that  stand 


SECOND    SUNDAY    IN    LENT.  125 

firm  in  the  hour  of  temptation  !  At  the  end  of  our  Gospel  we 
read  of  Christ,  ^^TJien  the  devil  leavetJi  IIi)ii,  and,  heliold,  angels 
came  and  ministered  unto  Him.'''  So  shall  the  angels  of  God 
also  minister  unto  those  who  stand  firm  in  temptations,  and  guard 
and  keep  them  until  they  arrive 

Where  all  the  ransomed  church  of  God 
Be  saved  to  sin  no  more. 
Amen. 


SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  LENT. 


Matt.  15,  21—28. 
Then  Jesus  went  thence,  and  departed  into  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon. 
And,  behold,  a  woman  of  Canaan  came  out  of  the  same  coasts,  and  cried  unto 
him,  saying.  Have  mercy  on  me,  O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David;  ray  daughter  is 
grievously  vexed  with  a  devil.  But  he  answered  her  not  a  word.  And  his  dis- 
ciples came  and  besought  him,  saying,  Send  her  away;  for  she  crietli  after  us. 
But  lie  answered  and  said,  I  am  not  sent  but  unto  tlie  lost  sheep  of  the  house 
of  Israel.  Then  came  she  and  woi'shiped  him,  saying.  Lord,  help  me.  But  lie 
answered  and  said.  It  is  not  meet  to  take  the  children's  bread,  and  to  cast  it  to 
dogs.  And  she  said.  Truth,  Lord:  yet  the  dogs  eat  of  the  crumbs  which  fall 
from  their  masters'  table.  Then  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  her,  O  woman, 
great  is  thy  faith :  be  it  unto  thee  even  as  thou  wilt.  And  her  daughter  was 
made  whole  from  that  very  hour. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

The  Syrophoenician  woman  in  our  Gospel,  though  coming 
from  the  Gentiles,  was  a  true  believer  in  Jesus  Christ.  ' '  O  woman, 
great  is  thy  faith!''  says  Jesus.  She  was  in  God's  grace,  her  sins 
were  forgiven,  she  was  a  child  of  God;   and  God  loved  her. 

But  did  she  feel  these  things?  Did  she  joyously  experience 
in  her  own  heart  that  she  was  in  such  a  blessed  state?  No;  while 
Jesus  dealt  with  her  as  He  did  when  He  rebuked  her  and  refused 
her  request,  she  surely  felt  no  joy.  And  yet  she  was  a  true  Chris- 
tian, in  God's  grace,  even  while  her  soul  was  filled  with  darkness. 

One  of  the  greatest  mistakes  is  to  think  that  you  must  feel 
joyful  and  happy  continually  to  be  a  true  Christian,  that  you  must 
be  fully  aware  that  your  sins  are  really  forgiven  and  that  you  are 
in  God's  grace,  and,  if  you  did  not  feel  that  way,  you  had  no 
claim  on  the  full  forgiveness  of  your  sins  and  on  the  grace  and 


126  SECOXD    SUNDAY    IX    LENT. 

mercy  of  the  ^Almighty.  That  is  the  great  error  under  which 
many  of  our  Anioricau  churches  are  constantly  laboring.  In 
their  revival  meetings  they  endeavor  to  stir  up  the  feelings  of  the 
people  and  to  get  them  into  a  state  of  high  excitement.  They 
urt^'  the  sinners  to  come  forward  and  he  converted  to  Christ. 
"When  any  one  comes  forward  signifying  his  intention  to  become 
converted,  they  plead  with  him,  and  gather  around  him,  and  pray 
for  him,  and  the  question  put  to  him  is  not,  Dost  thou  believe? 
but,  How  dost  thou  feel?  Dost  thou  feel  that  thou  art  converted, 
that  thou  art  in  the  grace  of  God?  And  he  is  not  declared  con- 
verted unless  he  says,  I  feel.  These  conversions  based  on  a 
momentary  feeling  of  joy  brought  forth  under  the  strain  of  reli- 
gious excitement  frequently  prove  to  be  mere  delusions.  For 
what  guaranty  of  God's  grace  can  your  ow^i  heart  afford?  Is  not 
man's  heart  a  deceitful  and  desperately  wicked  thing?  Does  not 
God  say  in  the  book  of  Proverbs,  "He  that  trusteth  in  his  own 
heart  is  a  fool"  ? 

It  is  foolish,  therefore,  to  trust  in  your  own  heart,  in  your 
feelings  and  inward  experience  for  the  certainty  of  your  con- 
version. And  e({ually  as  foolish  it  is  to  think  that  you  are  not 
converted  unless  you  feel  joyful  and  happy.  This  shall  be  the 
subject  of  our  discourse  to-day.  With  the  aid  of  God's  Holy 
Spirit  let  us  consider, 

THE  FOLLY  OF  NOT  BELIEVING  THAT  YOU  ARE  IN  GRACE 
UNLESS  YOU  FEEL  IT. 

I.  Because  you  can  be  in  grace^  though  you  do  not  feel  it. 
II.  Because  true  faith  relies  on  the  Word  alone,  which  prom- 
ises God\s  grace. 

I. 

You  can  be  in  God's  grace  and  favor,  though  you  do  not 
feel  it.  This  truth  is  clearly  set  forth  in  our  Gospel.  Let  us  in- 
(juire  into  the  state  of  the  woman's  mind  who,  as  shown  before, 
was  in  God's  grace,  and  see  Avhether  she  really  felt  as  if  the  grace 
of  God  was  with  her. 

We  are  told,  in  the  first  place,  that  she  was  in  great  trouble. 
When  Jesus  came  near  Tyre  and  Sidon,  ".s7<e  came  out  of  the  scniie 
coasts,  and  cried  unto  Ilitn,  saying,  Have  mercy  on  me,  O  Lord, 
Tliou  Son  of  David;    my  daughter  is  grievously  vexed  with  a 


SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  LENT.  127 

devil.'''  How  must  this  woman  have  felt  when  she,  a  firm  be- 
hever  in  Jesus,  was  thus  afflicted  and  her  daughter  was  })odily 
possessed  with  the  devil !  But  to  add  to  her  miser}^  what  was 
Jesus'  reply?  We  are  told,  '^Bat  He  ansicered  her  not  a  irord."" 
Did  this  look  to  her  as  if  she  were  in  God's  o-race?  How  must 
she  have  felt  when  upon  her  humble  prayer  to  the  Lord  she  was 
simply  ignored  by  Him  who  so  kindly  heard  the  pra^^ers  of  ah  that 
applied  to  Him  for  help  in  their  distress,  and  cheerfully  granted 
their  requests?  Picture  to  your  mind  the  distressed  woman  fol- 
lowing after  Christ,  crying  after  Him,  asking  and  beseeching  Him ; 
and  Christ  leisurely  walking  on,  paying  no  attention  to  her,  not 
noticing  her.     How  miserable  must  she  feel ! 

We  are  told  furthermore,  '•^And  His  disciples  came  and  be- 
sought Him,  sai/ing,  Send  her  away ;  for  she  crieth  after  its.'' 
The  woman,  undoubtedly,  heard  the  disciples  interceding  for  her, 
and  a  flash  of  hope  shot  through  her  soul.  But  how  great  must 
have  been  her  disappointment  when  Jesus  ^^ answered  and  said,  I 
am  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.^'  Must 
she  not  have  felt  as  though  there  was  no  hope  for  her,  as  though 
she  must  not  dare  to  approach  Christ,  because  she  was  not  an 
Israelite?  Meanwhile,  as  Mark  informs  us,  Jesus  entered  a  house. 
He  was  gone,  and  there  the  poor  woman  stood  in  the  street,  aban- 
doned and  forsaken.  How  dreary  must  have  been  her  thoughts  ! 
How  depressed  must  have  been  the  state  of  her  mind  !  Still,  she 
does  not  give  up  to  despair.  She  makes  another  attempt.  She 
enters  the  house,  and  '■'■then  came  she  and  icorshijjed  Him,  saying. 
Lord,  help  me."  Stern  and  austere  is  the  Lord's  reply,  "/j5  is 
not  meet  to  take  the  children" s  bread  and  to  cast  it  to  dogs.'''  She  is 
made  to  believe  that  she  is  no  better  than  a  doo;,  beinij  of  heathen 
descent.  All  the  hope  she  had  of  obtaining  deliverance  is  cut 
short.  O  how  great  must  have  been  her  wretchedness,  her  grief 
and  sorrow!  Why  did  Jesus  deal  thus  with  the  poor  woman? 
Was  He  angry?  Not  in  the  least.  His  grace  was  with  her  all 
the  while  He  refused  her  prayer.  But  to  prove  her  faith  the  Lord, 
for  a  time,  hid  from  her  His  goodness. 

Note,  my  dear  Christian,  you  can  be  in  God's  grace,  though, 
like  the  woman  in  our  Gospel,  you  do  not  feel  it.  To  this  day 
God  will  sometimes  deal  with  His  dear  children  as  He  did  with 
this  woman,  and  deprive  them  of  all  those  joyful  feelings  which 


126  SECOND    SUNDAY    IX    LENT. 

at  other  times  make  them  so  happv.  To  this  day  God  will  some- 
times hide  His  lovely  face,  as  it  were,  and  let  trials,  and  afflic- 
tions, and  temptations  come  upon  those  whom  He  loves.  To  this 
day  God  will  sometimes  deal  witli  us  as  though  He  were  deaf  to 
our  prayers  and  did  not  care  to  answer,  and  the  more  we  call 
upon  Him,  the  less  we  hear  of  Him,  the  less  we  experience  His 
grace  and  mercy,  and  the  deeper  is  our  soul  plunged  into  the  abyss 
of  grief  and  sorrow.  This  truth  is  taught  not  only  by  the  example 
of  the  woman  of  Canaan ;  it  is  attested  and  corroborated  by  nu- 
merous examples  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  There  is  Job.  Was 
he  not  a  child  of  God,  and  in  God's  grace?  And  when  tried  in 
the  furnace  of  affliction,  how  did  he  feel?  He  says,  "I  cry  unto 
Thee,  and  Thou  dost  not  hear  me,  I  stand  up  and  Thou  regardest 
me  not.  Thou  art  become  cruel  to  me:  with  Thy  strong  hand 
Thou  opposest  Thyself  against  me."  There  is  the  pious  King 
Hezekiah,  who  was  smitten  with  illness.  He  wept  sore,  and  after 
his  recovery  he  made  a  psalm  describing  his  feelings  while  he  was 
suffering,  wherein  he  says,  "Like  a  crane  or  a  swallow,  so  did  I 
chatter:  I  did  mourn  as  a  dove:  mine  eyes  fail  with  looking  up- 
ward: O  Lord,  I  am  oppressed;  undertake  for  me."  There  is 
David.  Even  when  Nathan  the  prophet  had  absolved  him  from 
his  sin,  he  still  felt  the  pangs  of  God's  anger  and  w^rath  and  said 
in  the  3<sth  Psalm,  "I  am  troubled;  I  am  bowed  down  greatly; 
I  go  mourning  all  the  day  long."  There  is  the  sinful  woman, 
Mary  Magdalene.  Though  Christ  had  given  the  assurance  and 
said,  "Many  sins  are  forgiven  her,"  still  she  wept  bitterly  and 
did  not  feel  the  healing  l)alm  of  grace,  until  Christ  turned  to  her 
and  said,  "Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  :  thy  faith  hath  saved  thee: 
de})art  in  peace." 

You  see,  my  dear  Christians,  you  can  be  in  God's  grace, 
thouirh  vou  do  not  feel  it.  You  can  be  in  such  a  condition  as 
to  experience  nothing  but  death  and  condemnation  and,  at  the 
same  time,  be  a  child  of  God.  You  can  be  weeping  and  lament- 
ing over  your  sins,  while  the  angels  in  heaven  arc  praising  the 
Lord  for  your  repentance.  You  can  have  peace  with  God  and, 
at  the  same  time,  your  own  heart  may  be  filled  with  fear  and 
uneasiness.  When  you  are  in  such  a  depressed  and  despondent 
state,  do  not  let  false  i)r()phets  deceive  and  tell  you,  you  were  no 
Christian,  because  you  did  not  feel  any  joy  and  did  not  experience 


SECOND    SUNDAY    IN    LENT.  129 

God's  grace.  Know  that  God  moans  to  prove  your  faith  when 
He  withholds  those  joyful  feelings,  that  Jesus  merely  hides  His 
grace,  which  is  yours  nevertheless  and  shall  not  be  taken  away 
from  3'ou.  Hold  on  to  His  grace,  as  the  woman  of  Canaan  did, 
and  say, 

When  darkness  veils  His  lovely  face, 

I  rest  on  His  unchanging  grace. 

In  every  high  and  stormy  gale 

My  anchor  holds  within  the  veil. 

On  Christ,  the  solid  Rock,  I  stand, 

All  other  ground  is  sinking  sand. 

11. 

It  is  folly  not  to  believe  that  you  are  in  God's  grace  unless 
you  feel  it,  also  for  this  reason,  because  true  faith  relies  on  the 
Word  alone,  which  promises  God's  grace. 

Jesus  praises  the  woman,  because,  in  spite  of  His  rebukes 
and  the  feeling  of  her  own  unworthiness  and  all  contrary  experi- 
ences, her  faith  in  His  grace  and  mercy  remained  unshaken. 

Though  Christ  seemed  to  be  opposing  her,  this  woman  ob- 
viously said  within  herself.  It  is  impossible  that  Christ,  the  Son 
of  David,  should  put  you  off  and  not  grant  your  request ;  He 
cannot  be  angry  ;  He  nuist  be  merciful ;  you  must  persevere  ;  He 
surely  is  your  Savior,  His  harsh  words  notwithstanding,  "When 
therefore  Christ  said  to  her,  "//  is  not  meet  to  take  the  children'' s 
bread  and  to  cast  it  to  dogs,"  she  clings  to  these  words  and  re- 
sponds, ''^Truth,  Lord:  yet  the  dogs  eat  of  the  crmnbs  irhich  fall 
from  their  masters'  table.''  How  adroitly  does  she  turn  to  her 
favor  what  seems  to  be  aofainst  her  !  And  does  the  Lord  censure 
her  for  such  obtrusiveness ?  No;  He  is  highly  pleased  and  says, 
"O  woman,  great  is  thy  faith:  be  it  unto  thee  even  as  thoa  wilt. 
And  her  daughter  was  made  ichole  froni  that  very  hoar.'" 

Behold,  my  friends,  here  is  an  example  showing  wherein  true 
faith  consists.  Faith  does  not  consist  in  relying  on  the  feelings 
of  your  own  heart  and  believing  that  you  are  converted,  justified, 
saved,  because  your  own  heart  tells  you  so,  or  because  there  is  a 
voice  within  you  saying,  Now  you  have  grace,  now  you  are  born 
again,  now  you  have  i)assed  through  and  made  your  calling  and 
election  sure,  now  your  sins  are  forgiven,  now  you  are  a  child  of 


130  SECOND    SUNDAY    IN    LENT. 

God  and  an  heir  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Modern  revival  con- 
versions are  largely  brought  about  in  that  way,  and  peojile  thus 
converted  claim  that  they  can  fix  the  very  minute  of  their  con- 
version. They  mistake  for  conversion  what  is  merely  an  outburst 
of  feelint^.  No:  true  faith  has  a  better  and  firmer  foundation 
than  the  fluctuating  feelings  of  our  sinful  heart.  True  faith  con- 
sists in  relying  on  the  Word  of  God  alone,  which  promises  the 
grace  of  God.  That  is  what  the  woman  did  in  our  Gospel.  She 
held  on  to  Christ's  words,  in  spite  of  all  conflicting  experiences. 

If  any  one  perceives  that  he  is  a  lost  and  condemned  sinner, 
for  whom  there  is  no  help,  and  flees  to  Jesus,  seeking  refuge  in 
His  wounds,  if  in  spite  of  his  sins  he  applies  to  himself  the  right- 
eousness of  Jesus,  who  died  on  the  cross  for  us  all,  and  trusts  in 
the  gracious  promises  of  the  Gospel,  which  says,  *'God  so  loved 
the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life," 
then  can  he  rest  assured  that  he  is  in  God's  grace.  He  that  does 
not  want  to  believe  the  gracious  promises  of  the  Gospel  made  to 
all  sinners,  unless  he  can  feel  the  beneficent  effects  of  that  Gospel 
u})on  his  own  heart  and  soul,  such  person  does  the  very  same 
thing  which  Thomas  did  when  he  said,  "Except  I  shall  see  in  the 
Lord's  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  in  the 
print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  His  side,  1  will  not 
believe."  The  Lord  had  compassion  on  this  doubting  disciple, 
.but  He  also  censured  him,  saying,  "Thomas,  because  thou  hast 
seen  me,  thou  hast  believed:  blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen, 
and  yet  have  believed."  Blessed,  therefore,  are  they  who  rely 
on  the  Word  of  God  alone  for  their  salvation  and  everything  that 
pertains  thereto  !  But  pity  on  those  who  are  determined  not  to 
believe  unless  they  meet  with  some  peculiar  experience  within 
themselves  !  Their  faith  is  not  based  on  the  right  foundation. 
If  they  believe,  they  do  not  believe  for  the  sake  of  the  divine 
Word,  but  for  the  sake  of  their  own  feelings.  Their  own  feel- 
ings will  finally  be  their  Gospel,  their  Christ,  their  Savior,  the 
foundation  of  their  salvation.  And  that  is  a  foundation  which 
will  cruml)le  into  dust  and  finally  plunge  them  into  the  vortex 
of  des|)air. 

RemenilK'r,  my  hearers,  you  are  saved  not  by  what  you  feel, 
but  by  what  you  Ix'iicve.      It  is  not  written.  He  that  is  joyful 


THIRD  SUNDAY  IN  LENT.  131 

nhall  be  saved,  but,  "He  that  belie veth  shall  be  saved."  It  is 
not  feeling,  but  believing.  We  walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight.  When 
I  feel  my  soul  as  cold  as  an  iceberg,  as  hard  as  a  rock,  as  sinful 
as  Satan,  even  then  does  faith  not  cease  to  justify.  Faith  pre- 
vails as  truly  in  the  midst  of  sad  feelings  as  of  happ}^  feelings. 
For  just  then,  standing  alone,  it  shows  the  greatness  of  its  power. 
May  the  Lord  grant  unto  us  all  such  unflinching  faith  in  the 
words  of  His  promises  and  enable  each  one  of  us  to  say, 

I  cling  to  what  my  Savior  taught, 
And  trust  it,  whether  felt  or  not. 
Amen. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  IN  LENT. 


Luke  11,  14—28. 
And  he  was  casting  out  a  devil,  and  it  was  dumb.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  the  devil  was  gone  out,  the  dumb  spaiie;  and  the  people  wondered.  But 
some  of  them  said.  He  casteth  out  devils  through  Beelzebub  tlie  chief  of  the 
devils.  And  others,  tempting  him,  sought  of  him  a  sign  from  heaven.  But  lie, 
knowing  their  thoughts,  said  unto  them.  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself 
is  brought  to  desolation;  and  a  house  divided  against  a  house  falleth.  If  Satan 
also  be  divided  against  himself,  how  shall  his  kingdom  stand?  because  ye  say 
that  I  cast  out  devils  through  Beelzebul).  And  if  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils, 
by  whom  do  your  sons  cast  them  out?  therefore  shall  they  be  your  judges.  But 
if  I  with  the  finger  of  God  cast  out  devils,  no  doubt  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come 
upon  you.  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  palace,  his  goods  are  in  peace : 
but  when  a  stronger  than  he  shall  come  upon  him,  and  overcome  him,  he  taketh 
from  him  all  his  armor  wherein  he  trusted,  and  divideth  his  spoils.  He  that  is 
not  with  me  is  against  me :  and  he  that  gathereth  not  with  me  scattereth.  When 
the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,  he  walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking 
rest;  and  finding  none,  he  saith,  I  will  return  unto  my  house  whence  I  came  out. 
And  when  he  cometh,  he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnished.  Then  goeth  he,  and 
taketh  to  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself;  and  they  enter  in, 
and  dwell  there:  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  than  the  first.  .And  it 
came  to  pass,  as  he  spake  these  things,  a  certain  woman  of  the  company  lifted 
up  her  voice,  and  said  unto  him,  Blessed  is  the  woml)  that  bare  thee,  and  the 
paps  which  thou  hast  sucked.  But  he  said.  Yea  rather,  blessed  are  they  that 
hear  the  word  of  God,  and  keep  it. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ  : 

In  our  last  Sunday's  Gospel  we  were  informed  that  Jesus 
cast  a  devil  out  of  the  Syrophoenician  woman's  daughter,  and 
to-day  again  we  are  told,  ''And  He  cast  out  a  devil,  'f»d  if  tras 


132  TlllHU    SUNDAY    IN    LENT. 

dumb.  And  if  came  to  pass.,  when  the  devil  icas  gone  out,  the 
dumb  spake.'''' 

To  believe  in  the  actual  existence  of  devils  or  evil  spirits 
is  now  looked  upon  as  a  remnant  of  old  superstitions  of  bygone 
days  by  those  who  claim  to  be  progressing  with  the  times.  They 
themselves  use  such  phrases  as,  In  the  devil's  name,  and  the  like, 
and  these  phrases  seem  to  indicate  that  they  must  be  believing  in 
the  actual  existence  of  the  devil  after  all,  their  declaration  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding.  But  let  any  one  say  to  them  that  he 
believes  in  the  existence  of  a  personal  devil,  and  he  is  very  apt 
to  be  laughed  at  and  called  a  fool. 

Now  we  must  admit  that  in  olden  times,  and  especially  during 
the  reign  of  the  papacy  in  the  Old  World,  and  in  the  days  of  the 
Pilc^rim  Fathers  in  the  New  World,  in  our  own  country,  the  most 
absurd  stories  were  circulated  designed  to  frighten  people,  telling 
how  the  devil  appeared  with  hoof  and  horns,  and  what  he  had 
done.  The  most  cruel  punishments  were  inflicted  upon  those  who 
were  suspected  of  having  some  secret  intercourse  with  the  devil. 
Such  persons  were  horribly  tortured  to  extort  from  them  a  con- 
fession of  their  guilt.  They  were  required  to  undergo  tests 
to  prove  their  innocence.  Many  an  innocent  person  was  put 
to  death. 

All  of  this  was  an  abuse  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Scriptures 
concerning  the  devil.  It  was  contrary  to  the  Scriptures.  But  are 
we  to  cast  away  this  doctrine,  because  it  was  and  is  still  being 
abused  ?  Are  we  to  deny  the  very  existence  of  Satan  because  so 
nmch  superstition  clusters  around  his  name?  Verily  not.  The 
Scripture  is  the  divine  truth.  The  Scripture  is  just  as  true  in 
what  it  says  of  the  devil  as  it  is  in  what  it  says  of  God.  And 
does  not  the  Scripture  contain  a  complete  history  of  the  devil, 
of  his  origin,  his  works,  his  intentions,  and  his  final  doom? 

This  Sunday's  Gospel  also  treats  of  the  works  of  Satan. 
After  the  Lord  Jesus  had  cast  out  a  devil  of  the  man  who  was 
dumb,  we  are  told,  "  77/e  people  wondered.  But  some  of  thc/n 
said,  lie  casteth  out  devils  through  Beelzebid),  the  chirf  of  the 
devils.  And  others,  tempting  Him,  sought  of  Him  a  sign  from 
heaven.''  From  this  Christ  takes  o'ccasion  to  discourse  copiously 
on  the  kingdom  of  Satan.  Let  us  therefore  consider  with  the  aid 
of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 


THIRD    SUNDAY    IN    LENT.  133 

CHRIST'S  DISCOURSE  ON  SATAN'S  KINGDOM, 
showing, 

I.  Wherein  Satan's  kingdom  consists,  and 
II.  IIoiv  his  kingdom  is  overcome. 

I. 

Christ  says,  ^' Every  I'ingdom  divided  against  itself  is  brought 
to  desolation;  and  a  house  divided  against  a  house  faJleth .  If 
Satan  also  he  divided  against  himself,  hoio  shall  his  kingdom 
stand  f  because  ye  say  that  I  cast  out  devils  through  Beelzebub. 
And  if  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  by  whom  do  your  sons  cast 
them  out?  therefore  shall  they  be  your  judges.  But  if  I  icith  the 
finger  of  God  cast  out  devils,  no  doubt  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
come  upon  you.  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  jyalace, 
his  goods  are  in  peace:  hut  when  a  stronger  than  he  shall  come 
upon  him,  and  overcome  him,  he  taketh  from  him  all  Jiis  armor 
loherein  he  trusted,  and  divideth  his  spoils."  From  these  words 
of  our  Savior  we  see  clearly  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  the  king- 
dom of  Satan,  that  there  are  palaces  which  he  inhabits,  and  that 
there  is  an  armor  wherein  he  trusts. 

And  what  is  Satan's  kingdom?  His  kingdom  is  this  world; 
his  palace  is  the  human  heart;  his  armor  are  all  those  things 
which  Satan  makes  use  of  to  establish  or  keep  his  sovereignty 
in  the  human  heart. 

The  whole  world  is  Satan's  kingdom.  He  is,  therefore,  called 
the  prince  of  this  world,  the  god  of  this  world.  He  did  not  create 
the  world,  neither  does  he  preserve  and  govern  the  world;  but 
Satan  it  was  who  brought  about  the  present  deplorable  state  of 
the  world.  He  corrupted  the  world.  He  seduced  man  to  sin  and 
thereby  introduced  sin,  and  woe,  and  misery,  and  death  ;  and  he 
established  a  king-dom  of  his  own  in  God's  beautiful  creation. 
All  men  are  born  sinners  and,  therefore,  born  subjects  of  Satan 
in  his  kingdom.  Had  not  God  had  compassion  on  the  fallen 
human  race,  not  a  soul  would  be  saved,  but  all  men  would  have 
to  remain  in  Satan's  kino;dom  and  share  with  him  his  terrible 
doom  of  eternal  damnation.  But  God  did  have  mercy  on  us. 
He  had  His  only  begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  live  and  suffer  and 
die  for  us,  and  thereby  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.  "^^  hoso- 
ever  is  baptized  in  Jesus'  name  is  no  more  a  subject  in  Satan's 


134  THIRD  SUNDAY  IX  LENT. 

kiiiirdoin,  though  he  is  still  in  the  world,  which  is  Satan's  kingdom. 
God  is  his  Father,  Jesus  is  his  King,  and  Satan  has  no  claim  upon 
him.  Alas  !  many  that  were  baptized  do  not  remain  in  their  bap- 
tismal grace.  They  lose  the  faith,  lead  a  godless  life,  and  let 
Satan  rule  over  them.  Hence  it  is  that  Satan's  throne  is  estab- 
lished even  in  Christian  lands.  The  heathen  and  Mohammedan 
lands  with  their  people  and  the  remnants  of  Jewry  that  are  scat- 
tered over  the  whole  world,  are  the  strongholds  of  Satan,  which 
he  holds  by  ignorance  and  superstition,  so  that  rarely  a  soul 
escapes.  But  even  in  the  midst  of  Christendom  there  are  mil- 
lions of  palaces,  millions  of  human  hearts  that  are  occupied  by 
the  prince  of  this  woi-ld.  Not  only  does  Satan  hold  in  his  clutches 
those  who  are  outspoken  infidels  and  enemies  of  the  divine  truth, 
but  even  many  of  those  who  claim  to  be  Christians  are  his  loyal 
subjects. 

For  what  does  Christ  say  in  our  Gospel?  He  says,  "//e  that 
is  not  loith  me  is  against  me:  and  he  that  gathereth  not  with  me 
scattereth."  What  does  that  mean?  In  the  connection  in  which 
it  is  said  it  means  this.  Not  only  such  as  claim  to  be  neutral  and 
neither  to  hold  to  me  nor  to  Satan  are  against  me  and,  therefore, 
Satan's  servants  ;  l)ut  even  such  as  do  not  gather  with  me,  such  as 
do  not  work  with  me,  and  are  not  in  a  true  union  with  me,  though 
they  claim  to  be  Christians,  are  Satan's  su])j('cts.  Oh,  Satan  is  a 
cunning  spirit.  He  does  not  demand  of  his  subjects  to  worship 
him  openly,  he  permits  them  to  go  by  the  name  of  God's  servants, 
and  is  perfectly  satisfied,  if  they  will  onh^  do  his  works.  Whoso- 
ever indulges  in  some  sin  and  nourishes  and  cherishes  that  sin  and 
cannot  make  up  his  mind  to  rid  himself  of  that  sin  with  the  power 
of  God,  his  heart  is  Satan's  residence  and  palace,  and  if  he  were 
ever  so  good  a  Christian  outwardly  before  the  world.  A  heart 
given  to  licentiousness  is  Satan's  domain.  The  drunkard's  heart 
is  Satan's  possession.  Hearts  that  arc  continually  possessed  with 
pride,  arrogance,  conceitedness,  hatred,  enmity,  or  any  such  sinful 
emotions,  are  the  devil's  })alaces.  For  these  are  the  weapons,  the 
armor,  by  which  he  keepeth  his  own.  In  short,  where  sin  is  not 
being  n'sislcul,  where  sin  is  permitted  to  ])revail  and  to  hold  its 
sway  in  the  heart,  there  Satan's  kingdom  is  estal)lished.  Di'unkards 
will  sometimes  make  an  effort  to  keep  sober  and  even  swear  never 
to  tnncli  nnothci-  drop  of  strong  drink,  ])ut  their  a[)petite  is  so 


THIRD  SUXDAY  IN  LENT.  135 

strong  that  they  cannot  keep  themselves  under  control.  Sensu- 
alists will  sometimes  make  a  desperate  effort  to  lead  a  chaste  and 
decent  life,  but  the  next  temptation  gets  the  best  of  them.  Persons 
given  to  lies  and  falsehoods  will  sometimes  make  up  their  minds 
to  be  truthful  and  sincere,  but  before  they  are  aware  another 
falsehood  crosses  their  lips.  Whence  this  irresistil)le  power  of 
sin  ?  It  is  because  the  power  which  holds  them  in  bonds  and  fet- 
ters is  more  than  human.  It  is  diabolic.  Satan  has  possession 
of  such  hearts. 

And  not  only  such  has  Satan  l)ound  with  his  chains  and  fet- 
ters as  live  in  open  sin  and  shame,  but  also  many  of  those  who 
lead  an  honest  and  upright  life  before  men.  Sometimes  his  fetters 
are  so  hidden  and  concealed  as  to  make  it  impossible  for  man  to 
detect  them.  When  we  see  a  drunkard  staggering  in  the  street, 
or  when  we  hear  some  person  cursing,  and  swearing,  and  using 
filthy  language  ;  or  when  we  see  some  one  performing  an  extremely 
wicked  deed,  we  may  justly  form  an  opinion  that  the  hearts  of 
such  persons  must  be  palaces  of  Satan.  But  the  evil  spirit  does 
not  dwell  exclusively  in  the  hearts  of  the  grossly  immoral  and 
profane  and  in  the  slums  of  sin  and  vice.  Sometimes  he  has  even 
a  stronger  hold  upon  the  self-righteous  and  upon  those  who  are 
highly  educated  and  appear  to  l)e  beyond  reproach.  Satan  has. 
his  dominion  not  onl}^  in  the  hearts  of  the  illiterate  and  ignorant, 
sometimes  his  kingdom  is  even  more  firmly  established  in  the 
hearts  of  the  educated  who  disseminate  errors  and  do  this,  per- 
haps, even  in  the  name  of  divine  truth. 

11. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  having  heard  wherein  Satan's 
kingdom  consists,  let  us  consider  how  his  kingdom  is  overcome. 
Christ  says,  "  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepefh  Ins  palace,  his 
goods  are  in  peace.'  but  ichen  a  stronger  than  he  shall  come  upon 
him,  and  overcome  him,  he  taketh  from  him  all  his  armor  ivherein 
he  trusted,  and  divideth  his  spoil."  Here  Christ  tells  us  that, 
when  Satan  dwells  in  man's  heart,  he  is  theTe  as  a  strong  man 
armed,  and  he  will  remain  and  keep  his  own,  except  one  stronger 
than  he  come  upon  him  and  overcome  the  evil  spirit.  But  who  is 
stronger  than  Satan?  No  mortal  man.  No  mortal  man  can  by 
his  own  natural  power  break  Satan's  fetters  and  rid  himself  of 
10 


136  TIIIKD    SUNDAY    IN    LENT. 

Satan's  dominion.  Satan  is  too  strong  for  him.  Sometimes  it 
seems  as  if  ])y  his  own  will  i)ower  a  man  could  overcome  Satan 
and  his  destructive  work.  Drunkards,  and  licentious  persons  will 
somotinios  abandon  those  evil  i)ractices  in  which  previously  they 
had  indulged.  But,  at  the  same  time,  they  are  fettered  by  other 
sins,  as,  by  self-righteousness  or  covetousness,  and  their  hearts 
remain  virtually  unchanged.  Is  Satan  really  overcome  if  one  sin 
is  dispensed  with  and  another  remains,  or  is  substituted  in  its 
place,  if,  for  instance,  the  drunkard  drinks  no  more,  but  prides 
himself  in  self-righteousness  before  God  and  man  ?  No  ;  in  such 
cases  Satan  is  not  overcome  at  all.  He  only  puts  on  a  different 
garb.     His  power  remains  imdisturbed. 

The  only  possible  way  for  man  to  be  saved  from  Satan's 
power  is  through  Jesus  Christ,  the  eternal  Son  of  God.  He  is 
the  stronger  who  comes  upon  and  overcomes  the  strong  man 
armed,  who  takcth  from  him  all  his  armor  and  divideth  the  spoils. 
The  only  j^ossible  way  to  overcome  Satan's  kingdom,  to  rend 
asunder  his  fetters,  to  rid  yourself  from  the  bondage  of  sin,  to 
become  a  truly  free  man,  who  is  not  the  slave  of  some  pet  sin,  to 
become  truly  converted  from  the  power  of  Satan  to  God,  is  through 
Jesus  Christ.  You  must  not  attempt  to  overcome  Satan's  king- 
dom l)y  your  own  power,  or  you  will  fail  invariably.  Christ  alone 
can  free  the  sinner  from  Satan's  power. 

And  how  will  Jesus  do  this?  He  will,  first  of  all,  lead  the 
sinner  to  i)erccive  the  damnableness  of  his  sin,  to  feel  true  re- 
morse, not  so  much  because  of  the  evil  consequences  of  sin,  a 
name  tainted  before  the  world,  or  health  impaired  or  ruined,  but 
most  of  all  because  by  sin  he  transgressed  God's  divine  Law,  and 
stood  in  league  with  God's  enemy,  the  devil,  permitting  him  to 
occupy  his  heart  as  a  palace,  while  it  should  have  been  the  temple 
of  God. 

But  Jesus  will  do  more  for  the  sinner  than  that.  He  will  not 
only  let  his  heart  be  filled  with  remorse  by  the  Law.  He  will  also 
take  possession  of  his  heart  by  the  Gospel ;  and  Satan  will  have  to 
depart.  Christ  will  replenish  that  heart  with  true  faitii,  with  the 
assurance  that  all  sins  have  been  blotted  out  by  His  suffering  and 
death  on  the  cross.  Thus  will  He  rid  the  heart  from  the  love  of 
sin  and  evil  ways  and  lead  the  soul  to  hate  and  despise  all  works  of 
darkness  and  with  strength  from  on  high  to  resist  all  temptations. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  IN  LENT.  137 

Behold,  thus  is  Satan's  kingdom  overcome  in  man's  heart  through 
Jesus  Christ. 

But  so  strong  and  so  cunning,  at  the  same  time,  is  Satan, 
even  when  driven  out  of  man's  heart  and  completely  put  to  flight, 
he  will  watch  his  chances  to  return  and  to  recapture  the  palace 
which  he  was  forced  to  abandon.  And  if  not  properly  guarded 
against,  he  may  regain  his  dominion  and  reestablish  his  kingdom. 
Christ  says,  ^^W/teu  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,  he 
waJketh  througli  dry  places,  seehing  rest ;  and  finding  none,  he 
saiih,  I  ivill  return  unto  my  house  whence  I  came  out.  And  u^hen 
he  Cometh,  he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnislied.  Tltea  goeth  he,  and 
taketh  to  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself;  and 
they  enter  in,  and  dwell  there:  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  is 
worse  than  the  first.''  Christ  means  to  say.  If  a  Christian  is  not 
on  his  guard,  Satan  will  again  get  him  under  control  and  triumph 
over  him.  If  a  Christian  ceases  to  watch  and  to  pray,  to  use 
diligently  the  means  of  grace,  to  battle  against  sin  in  his  own 
heart ;  if  he  begins  to  grow  indifferent  as  to  his  soul's  salva- 
tion and  to  desire  after  the  world's  evil  lusts,  then  is  his  heart 
swept  and  garnished  and  duly  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the 
evil  spirit.  And  'vvoe  unto  him  if  he  yields  to  the  desires  of  his  own 
flesh  !  Not  only  will  his  own  pet  sin  return,  but  other  sins  will 
follow  in  its  wake,  and  the  last  state  will  be  worse  than  the  first. 
It  is  always  a  more  difiicult  thing  for  a  backslider  to  be  recon- 
verted than  for  a  sinner  who  had  not  yet  tasted  the  good  Word 
of  God  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come,  to  come  to  re- 
pentance. 

O  let  us  all  be  mindful  of  the  apostle's  warning,  "Let  him 
that  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall."  Let  us  diligently  make  use 
of  God's  holy  Word  and  wield  that  Sword  of  the  Spirit  freely 
against  him  who  goeth  about  as  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom 
he  may  devour.  And  ours  shall  be  the  promise  of  our  Savior, 
' ' Blessed  are  they  that  hear  the  Word  of  God  and  keep  it.'"    Amen . 


138  PYJIUTII    SLXUAV    IN    LENT. 

FOUKTH  SUXDAY  IX  LENT. 


John  (>,  1 — 15. 
After  these  things  Jesus  weut  over  the  sea  of  Galilee,  which  is  the  sea  of 
Tiberias.  And  a  great  multitude  followed  liim,  because  they  saw  his  miracles 
which  he  did  on  them  that  were  diseased.  And  Jesus  went  up  into  a  mountain, 
and  there  he  sat  with  his  disciples.  And  the  passover,  a  feast  of  the  Jews,  was 
nigh.  When  Jesus  tlien  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  a  great  company  come  unto 
him,  he  saitli  unto  Piiilip,  Whence  shall  we  buy  bi-ead,  that  these  may  eat? 
And  this  he  said  to  prove  iiim:  for  he  himself  i<uew  what  lie  would  do.  Philip 
answered  him,  Two  hundred  pennyworth  of  bread  is  not  sufficient  for  them, 
that  every  one  of  tliem  may  take  a  little.  One  of  his  disciples,  Andrew,  Simon 
Peter's  brother,  saith  unto  him,  Tliere  is  a  lad  here,  which  hath  five  barley 
loaves,  and  two  small  fishes :  but  what  are  they  among  so  many  ?  And  Jesus 
said.  Make  the  men  sit  down.  Now  there  was  much  grass  in  the  place.  So  the 
men  sat  down,  in  number  about  five  thousand.  And  Jesus  took  the  loaves;  and 
when  he  had  given  thanks,  lie  distributed  to  tlie  disciples,  and  the  disciples  to 
them  tiiat  were  set  down;  and  likewise  of  tlie  fishes  as  much  as  tliey  would. 
Wiien  they  were  filled,  he  said  unto  liis  disciples.  Gather  up  the  fragments  that 
remain,  that  nothing  be  lost.  Tlierefore  they  gathered  them  together,  and  filled 
twelve  l)askets  with  tiie  fragments  of  the  five  barley  loaves,  which  remained 
over  and  above  unto  them  tliat  had  eaten.  Then  those  men,  when  they  had  seen 
tlie  miracle  that  Jesus  did,  said,  This  is  of  a  truth  that  prophet  that  should  come 
into  the  world.  When  Jesus  therefore  perceived  that  they  would  come  and 
take  him  by  force,  to  make  him  a  king,  he  departed  again  into  a  mountain  him- 
self alone. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

In  this  day'.s  Go.si)el  we  are  told  that  the  people  intended  to 
take  Je.sus  by  force  and  make  Him  a  king.  The  time  .seemed  to 
be  favorable.  The  Passover  was  nigh.  From  all  parts  of  Judea 
and  from  other  i)arts  of  the  world  the  Jews  were  flocking  to  Jeru- 
salem to  celebrate  the  great  annual  feast  which,  according  to  their 
Law,  they  were  required  to  celebrate  in  their  magnificent  temple 
at  the  capital  city.  Thousands  among  the  common  people  took 
Jesus  for  the  great  Pro})het  of  whom  Moses  had  spoken,  saying, 
*'The  Lord,  thy  God,  will  raise  up  a  Prophet  unto  thee,  like 
unto  nic;  unto  Him  ye  shall  hearken."  They  looked  upon  Jesus 
as  the  promised  Messiah,  as  the  long-exiK'cted  Deliverer,  who 
should  restore  the  glory  of  the  li()us(>  of  Israel.  Like  a  gloom 
rested  upon  the  whole  nation  the  shame  of  having  been  conquered 
})y  the  Gentiles  and  being  held  in  bondage  by  the  mighty  Komans. 
And  since  the  whole  nation  was  inspired  with  a  fervent  desire  to 
cast  off  the  Roman  yoke  and  to  be  an  independent  people  again, 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN  LENT.  139 

would  not  the  Pas.sover  have  been  the  most  opportune  time  to  pro- 
claim a  king?  Is  it  not  very  likely  that  the  multitudes  coming  to 
Jerusalem  to  worship  would  have  made  an  attempt  to  expel  the 
Roman  intruders  and  hailed  with  delight  the  man  who  should  re- 
store the  throne  of  David  and  Solomon? 

But  what  are  we  told  of  Christ?  When  He  perceived  what 
the  people  were  about,  "//e  departed  again  into  a  mountain 
llimaelf  alone.'"  He  secreted  Himself.  He  did  not  mean  to  be 
the  kind  of  savior  they  expected  and  desired.  He  did  not  mean 
to  be  a  worldly  king.  And  Christ  is  the  same  to-day,  though 
most  men  expect  of  Him  something  different.  The  subject  of 
our  discourse  shall  be  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

CHRIST  QUITE  A  DIFFERENT  SAVIOR  THAN  MOST  MEN  DESIRE. 

We  shall  see, 

I.    What  kind  of  savior  most  men  desire^  and, 
II.  What  hind  of  Savior  Jesus  is. 

I. 

At  the  time  of  Christ  there  were  two  classes  of  men  who  de- 
sired a  different  kind  of  savior  than  Jesus  was.  The  one  class 
were  those  who  persecuted  Christ.  This  class  was  composed  of 
the  Sadducees  and  Pharisees,  two  different  sects  at  variance  with 
each  other,  but  one  in  their  opposition  to  Christ.  The  Sadducees 
were  the  agnostics  and  scoffers  of  those  days.  They  believed  in 
no  resurrection,  nor  angel,  nor  spirit.  Their  sole  aim  was  to  en- 
joy this  life,  to  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry,  and  not  to  worry  about 
the  hereafter.  They  looked  upon  those  as  fools  who  said  that 
there  was  a  heaven  and  a  hell.  Still,  they  also  desired  a  savior. 
But  the  savior  whom  they  had  in  their  minds  was  to  be  a  man  who 
should  teach  them  how  to  enjoy  this  life  still  more  and  who  should 
procure  for  them  more  of  the  pleasures  of  this  world. 

There  Avas  quite  a  contrast  between  these  and  the  Pharisees. 
The  Pharisees  believed  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  in  heaven 
and  hell,  in  a  retribution  after  this  life,  and  showed  great  piety. 
But  they  meant  to  get  to  heaven  by  their  own  righteousness.  The 
savior  whom  they  desired  was  to  be  a  man  who  should  preach 
morality,  admire  their  outward  holiness,  keep  aloof  from  publi- 
cans and  sinners,  and  make  the  Jews  the  leading  nation  of  the 
world  in  external  magnificence  and  splendor.     Since  Jesus  in  no 


140  Forinir  sun  day  ix  lent. 

way  came  near  their  standard  of  the  Messiah  they  opposed  Him, 
And  the  same  thing  was  done  In'  the  Sadducees,  who  looked  upon 
Jesus  as  a  man  who  was  far  behind  the  times. 

Aside  from  these  outspoken  enemies  of  Christ  there  was  an- 
other class  of  men  who  did  not  oppose  Christ  and  yet  desired  a 
different  kind  of  savior  than  Jesus  proved  to  be.  These  are  de- 
scribed in  the  following  words  of  our  Gospel,  '■''After  these  tilings 
Jesus  went  over  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  which  is  the  Sea  of  Tiberias. 
And  a  (jreat  multitude  followed  Him,  because  they  saw  His  mir- 
acles ichich  He  did  on  them  that  were  diseased."  The  miracles 
which  Jesus  performed  convinced  them  that  He  must  be,  at  least, 
a  great  prophet,  and  all  the  threats  and  blasphemies  of  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  could  not  keep  them  from  following  after  Christ 
and  hearing  His  jireaching. 

Still,  Jesus  was  not  the  kind  of  savior  they  were  wishing  for. 
This  is  plainly  shown  in  our  Gospel.  All  those  miracles  which 
Jesus  performed  before  their  eyes,  all  the  divine  sayings  which 
they  had  heard  from  His  lips  did  not  move  them  to  proclaim  Him 
their  Kins:  and  Savior.  But  no  sooner  had  He  fed  them  in  the 
wilderness  with  a  little  bread  and  fish  and  supi)lied  their  wants  in 
a  miraculous  way,  so  that  even  more  was  left  over  than  the  original 
supply  —  "o  sooner  had  Jesus  performed  the  great  miracle  of  feed- 
ing five  thousand  men  with  only  five  barley  loaves  and  two  small 
fishes,  than  the  people  shouted  in  an  ecstasy,  "77/?.s'  is  of  a  truth 
that  Prophet  that  shoidd  come  into  the  world.'''  Now  they  owned 
that  He  was  the  Prophet  promised  by  Moses,  the  true  Messiah. 
Even  such  was  their  excitement  over  what  Jesus  had  done  for 
them,  that  they  made  ready  to  take  Him  by  force  and  make  Him 
tlu'ir  king  at  once.  Wli}'  did  not  the  previous  miracles  of  Christ 
produce  upon  the  i)eople  the  effect  which  this  miracle  of  feeding 
them  produced?  The  reason  is  obvious.  The  people  desired  a 
savior  who  should  give  them  i)lenty  to  eat,  a  savior  not  of  the 
soul,  but  of  the  body;  not  for  heaven,  but  for  the  earth.  When, 
therefore,  on  the  following  day  Jesus  met  some  of  them  at  Caper- 
naum they  said  to  Him,  "Lord,  evermore  give  us  this  bread." 
That  shows  plainly  what  kind  of  savior  they  desired.  They  were 
bread-Clu'istians  and  wanted  a  ])read-savior. 

But  the  same  state  of  things  exists  to  this  day.  To  this  day 
the  same  two  classes  of  in»Mi  are  to  l)e  found  who  at  the  time  of 


rOUUTH  SUNDAY  IN  LENT.  141 

Christ  desired  a  different  kind  of  savior  than  Jesus  was.  We 
have  Sadducees  in  our  days.  These  are  the  infidels  who  mock 
and  scoff  at  every  form  of  religion,  who  say  that  there  is  no  God, 
who  deny  heaven  and  hell,  and  claim  that  man  has  no  more  soul 
than  the  brute.  Jesus  is  not  a  savior  to  their  taste.  Their  saviors, 
the  men  whom  they  admire,  are  those  who  assail  and  denounce 
the  Bible,  and  the  Christian  religion,  and  everything  in  connection 
therewith.  We  also  have  the  Pharisees.  These  sometimes  lay 
claim  to  the  Christian  name.  They  are  the  self-righteous  who 
protest  most  vigorously  if  j^ou  tell  them  that  they  are  lost  and 
condemned  sinners,  and  that  they  cannot  get  to  heaven  in  any 
other  way  than  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb  of  God  that 
taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world.  Jesus  is  not  a  savior  to  their 
taste  either.  Their  saviors  are  those  who  proclaim  shallow  mo- 
rality, praise  the  achievements  of  man,  and  urge  people  to  show 
sympathy  to  their  fellow  men,  presupposing  that,  if  there  is  a 
yonder  life,  man  must  get  there  by  his  own  exertions. 

And  then  there  are  such  in  our  days  as  are  very  much  like 
the  people  whom  Jesus  fed  in  our  Gospel.  Like  the  multitude 
they  follow  Jesus  into  the  wilderness.  In  a  certain  sense  they 
separate  themselves  from  the  children  of  this  world.  They  go  to 
church  and  hear  the  preaching  of  the  divine  Word.  But  what  is  it 
they  seek  with  Christ?  Redemption  from  sin?  Life  everlasting? 
Far  from  it.  To  say  it  in  plain  words,  they  seek  with  Christ  noth- 
ing but  bread  and  fish.  They  expect  Him  to  give  them  the  riches 
and  pleasures  of  this  world,  to  permit  them  to  enjoy  this  life  to 
their  heart's  content,  to  do  the  same  things  which  the  children  of 
this  world  call  their  greatest  delight,  to  go  to  dances,  balls,  and 
theaters,  and  thus  to  participate  in  the  world's  evil  lusts.  And 
when  they  are  told  that  Jesus  is  not  such  a  savior,  that  Christians 
must  crucify  their  flesh  and  the  lusts  thereof:  then  they  feel  dis- 
appointed and  offended.  Their  conduct  shows  that  Jesus  is  not 
the  savior  whom  they  desire. 

IL 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  see  what  kind  of  Savior 
Jesus  really  is. 

St.  Mark  also  has  an  account  of  this  great  miracle.  He  says 
that,  when  the  nudtitude  came  to  Jesus,   "7/e  was  moved  with 


142  FOURTH  SUNDAY  IX  LENT. 

compassion  to2vard  them,  because  Ihey  were  as  sheep  having  no 
.shepherd:  and  lie  began  to  teach  them  many  things.'"  So  from 
St.  Mark's  account  we  see  that  the  first  thing  which  Jesus  did  was 
that  He  administered  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people.  He  fed 
their  immortal  souls  with  the  bread  of  life.  His  heart  was  filled 
with  compassion  toward  them,  not  so  much  because  they  were  in 
bodily  needs,  but,  above  all,  because  they  were  as  sheep  having 
no  shepherd  for  their  souls  to  lead  and  guide  them.  From  this 
we  see  what  kind  of  Savior  Jesus  is.  He  is  a  Savior,  first  of  all, 
for  the  souls  of  men.  Those  who  come  to  Him  and  receive  Him 
as  their  Savior  are  required,  first  of  all,  to  seek  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  His  righteousness  ;  first  of  all,  to  look  upon  Him  as  the 
Savior  from  sin  "who  has  redeemed  us  lost  and  condemned 
creatures,  purchased  and  won  us  from  all  sins,  from  death  and 
from  the  power  of  the  devil,  not  with  gold  or  silver,  but  with 
His  holy,  precious  blood  and  Avith  His  innocent  suffering  and 
death,  that  we  may  be  His  own,  and  live  under  Him  in  His  king- 
dom, and  serve  Him  in  everlasting  righteousness,  innocence,  and 
blessedness." 

All  this  is  well  known.  It  is  being  preached  and  proclaimed 
continually.  But  where  are  they  who  desire  such  a  Savior  and 
wish  to  be  His  disciples  in  the  manner  indicated?  Ah,  these  are 
comparatively  few.  There  are  many,  indeed,  who  follow  Christ 
into  the  wilderness,  as  did  the  multitude  in  our  Gospel,  many  who 
hear  the  preaching  of  His  divine  Word,  many  who  perform  the 
outward  works  of  Christians,  say  their  daily  prayers,  give  to  the 
poor,  show  benevolence,  support  the  church,  and  help  to  extend 
the  kingdom  of  God.  But  if  the  inmost  thoughts  of  their  hearts 
were  exposed,  how  many  would  we  find  doing  all  these  things 
from  pure,  untainted  love  of  the  Savior,  because  He  loved  them 
first  and  did  so  much  for  them?  How  many  would  we  find  doing 
these  things  with  cheerfulness  of  heart  and  with  rejoicing  that 
they  can,  in  some  way,  show  their  gratitude  for  the  great  work  of 
the  redemption  wrought  u})on  their  immortal  souls?  They  do,  in- 
deed, ill  their  wa}',  believe  in  the  Bible  and  call  Jesus  their  Savior. 
But  when  they  are  informed  that  Jesus  is  a  Savior  of  the  soul, 
and  that  they  must  give  Him  their  hearts,  serve  Him  alone,  shun 
the  world  and  its  evil  lusts,  and  set  their  affection  on  things  above, 
where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  riirlit  liand  of  God,  then  it  becomes 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN  LENT.  143 

apparent  that  Jesus  Christ,  the  eternal  Son  of  God  and  Mar^-'s 
Son,  is  not  the  Savior  whom  they  really  desire. 

Still,  we  must  not  think  that  Jesus  showed  no  care  for  our 
bodily  needs.  Though  providing,  first  of  all,  for  our  immortal 
souls.  He  does  not  neglect  our  mortal  bodies.  Having  taught  the 
multitude  and  shown  them  the  way  to  eternal  life,  He  also  ad- 
ministered to  their  bodily  needs.  He  gives  them  bread  to  eat  and 
by  a  miracle  of  His  divine  power  not  only  supplies  their  present 
wants,  but  also  furnishes  enough  food  for  them  on  their  way 
home.  Our  Gospel  tells  us,  "  When  Jesus  then  lifted  up  His  eyes, 
and  saw  a  great  compani/  come  unto  Ilitn,  He  saith  unto  Philip, 
Whence  shall  loe  buy  bread,  that  these  may  eat?  And  this  He 
said  to  prove  Him:  for  He  Himself  hnew  what  He  would  do. 
Philip  answered  Him,  Two  hundred  pennywortli  of  bread  is  not 
sufficient  for  them,  that  every  one  of  them  may  take  a  little.  One 
of  His  disciples,  Andi'eiv,  Simon  Peter's  brother,  saith  unto  Him, 
There  is  a  lad  here,  which  hath  five  barley  loaves,  and  two  small 
fishes :  but  what  are  they  among  so  many?  And  Jesus  said,  Make 
the  men  sit  down.  Now  there  was  much  grass  in  the  place.  So 
the  men  sat  down,  in  number  about  five  thousand.  And  Jesus 
took  the  loaves;  and  when  He  had  given  thanks.  He  distributed 
to  the  disciples,  and  the  disciples  to  them  that  were  set  down;  and 
likewise  of  the  fishes,  as  much  as  they  would.  When  they  were 
filled.  He  said  unto  His  disciples.  Gather  up  the  fragments  that 
remain,  that  nothing  be  lost.  Therefore  they  gathered  them  to- 
gether, and  filled  twelve  baskets  with  the  fragments  of  tJte  five  barley 
loaves,  which  remained  over  and  above  unto  them  that  had  eaten.'''' 
From  this  we  see  what  kind  of  Savior  Jesus  is.  He  is  such  a 
Savior  as  will  never  forsake  those  w^ho  trust  in  Him.  He  will  in 
some  way  furnish  for  them  all  they  need  for  the  support  of  this 
body  and  life,  and  if  He  should  have  to  do  so  by  miracle.  He 
does  not  promise  them  riches,  not  an  abundance  of  goods  and 
earthly  possessions.  But  He  will  from  His  vast  stores  supply 
them  with  the  necessaries  of  life.  He  therefore  says  to  all  His  fol- 
lowers, "Take  no  thought  for  your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat,  or  what 
ye  shall  drink ;  nor  yet  for  your  body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  Is  not 
the  life  more  than  meat,  and  the  body  than  raiment?  Behold  the 
fowls  of  the  air :  for  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap,  nor  gather 
into  barns  ;  yet  your  heavenly  Father  feedeth  them.    Are  ye  not 


144  FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN'  LKNT. 

much  bettor  than  they?"  But  above  and  beyond  this  He  pro- 
vides for  our  ininiortal  souls.  To  the  multitude  by  the  seaside 
He  had  preached  Avords  of  eternal  life  before  He  fed  them  to 
sustain  this  temporal  life.  And  for  all  mankind  He  came  into 
the  world  to  seek  and  to  save  those  who  without  His  saving 
grace  must  have  been  lost  forever.  And  to  this  day  He  rules 
in  His  kingdom  of  grace  by  His  Word,  calls  and  enlightens 
and  sanctities  and  preserves  in  saving  faith,  through  His  Spirit, 
those  who  shall  be  gathered  about  His  throne  in  the  kingdom 
of  glory. 

Tell  me,  then,  my  friends,  could  we  wish  for  a  better  Savior 
than  Jesus?  a  Savior  who  takes  charge  of  our  immortal  souls, 
and  providing  for  us  richly  and  daily,  does  not  neglect  the  mortal 
body?  Is  it  not  the  height  of  folly  to  desire  a  different  kind  of 
savior  than  Jesus  is?  What  should  we  be  benefited,  if  we  had 
a  savior  who  would  give  us  all  the  riches  and  pleasures  of  this 
world,  and  who  would  desert  us  in  the  hour  of  death,  and  leave 
us  to  our  fate,  which  is  eternal  woe  and  misery  for  all  the  chil- 
dren of  men  who  die  in  their  sins  and  have  not  obtained  forgive- 
ness of  their  transgressions?  "What  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall 
gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul?" 

May  this,  then,  be  our  prayer, 

Jesus,  Lover  of  my  soul, 
Let  me  to  Thy  bosom  fly, 
While  the  nearer  waters  roll, 
While  the  tempest  still  is  high! 
Hide  me,  0  my  Savior,  hide, 
Till  the  storm  of  life  is  past; 
Safe  into  the  haven  guide, 
O  receive  my  soul  at  last. 

Amen. 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    IX    LKNT.  145 

FIFTH  SUNDAY  IN  LENT. 


John  8,  46— 5i). 
Which  of  you  couviuceth  me  of  sin?  And  if  I  say  the  truth,  wliy  do  ye  not 
believe  me?  He  that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words:  ye  therefore  liear  them 
not,  because  ye  are  not  of  God.  Then  answered  the  Jews,  and  said  unto  him, 
Say  Ave  not  well  that  thou  art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  devil  ?  Jesus  answered, 
I  have  not  a  devil;  but  I  honor  my  Father,  and  ye  do  dishonor  me.  And  I  seek 
not  mine  own  glory:  there  is  one  that  seelceth  and  judgeth.  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  If  a  man  keep  my  saying,  he  shall  never  .see  death.  Then  said  the 
Jews  unto  liim,  Now  we  know  tliat  thou  liast  a  devil.  Abraham  is  dead,  and  the 
prophets:  and  thou  sayest.  If  a  man  keep  my  saying,  he  shall  never  taste  of 
death.  Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Abraham,  which  is  dead?  and  the 
prophets  are  dead:  whom  makest  thou  thyself?  Jesus  answered.  If  I  lionor 
myself,  my  honor  is  nothing :  it  is  my  Fatlier  that  lionoreth  me ;  of  whom  ye 
say  that  he  is  your  God :  yet  ye  have  not  known  him ;  but  I  know  him :  and  if 
I  should  say,  I  know  him  not,  I  shall  be  a  liar  like  unto  you:  but  I  know  him, 
and  keep  his  saying.  Your  father  Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  my  day:  and  he  saw 
it,  and  was  glad.  Theu  said  the  Jews  unto  him,  Thou  art  not  yet  fifty  years  old, 
and  hast  thou  seen  Abraham?  Jesus  said  unto  them.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am.  Then  took  they  up  stones  to  cast  at  him:  but 
Jesus  hid  himself,  and  went  out  of  the  temple,  going  through  the  midst  of  them, 
and  so  passed  by. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

"  Why  do  ye  not  believe  meV  This  question  is  asked  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  in  our  Gospel.  The  Jews  to  whom  the  question  was 
put  answered  with  scorn  and  malediction.  In  our  days  men  gen- 
erally couch  their  answer  to  this  question  in  polite  words.  If  you 
ask  an  infidel,  Why  do  you  not  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus?  he  will 
say  now-a-days,  I  cannot;  I  would  like  to,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
I  cannot.  Some  years  ago  a  pastor  had  a  conversation  with  a 
Congressman  on  a  train  comins:  from  Washington .  The  Congress- 
man  told  him  that  nearly  all  the  highly  educated  men  that  make 
the  laws  of  the  land  were  infidels,  and  that  he,  too,  was  an  infidel, 
but  that  he  was  not  happy  in  that  state  ;  his  mother  was  a  devout 
Christian,  and  he  knew  that  she  was  a  happy  woman.  But  as  for 
himself,  he  could  not  believe  the  Christian  doctrine,  though  he 
desired  very  much  that  he  could  do  so  and  be  a  happy  man.  But 
in  the  course  of  the  conversation  it  developed  what  the  man's 
trouble  was.  It  was  that  he  had  contrived  for  himself  an  ob.stacle 
to  keep  him  from  the  faith.  He  had  fixed  in  his  mind  the  idea 
that  to  be  a  faithful  believer  you  must  be  ignorant  to  a  certain 


146  I'llTll    SLXDAY    IN    LENT. 

extent  and  prone  to  superstition.  So  he  preferred  to  be  an  in- 
lidel  and  to  claim  for  himself  the  name  of  a  highly  educated  man 
who  was  no  more  bound  with  the  ties  of  old  traditions  and  super- 
stitions of  bygone  days. 

Let  us  not  be  deceived  by  these  pretensions  of  infidels  when 
they  say  that  they  would  like  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  but 
that  they  could  not,  because  they  were  too  highly  educated,  they 
knew  too  much,  they  had  made  a  thorough  study  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  had  traveled  and  seen  so  much  of  the  world,  and  the  like. 
Infidelity  has  not  monopolized  education,  and  never  will.  Among 
the  greatest  men,  the  most  profound  thinkers,  the  wisest  states- 
men, the  highest  men  in  literature,  there  always  have  been  and 
there  are  to  this  day  professed  Christians.  Washington  professed 
the  Christian  faith,  and  so  did  Newton  and  Noah  Webster.  Bis- 
marck and  Gladstone,  the  greatest  statesmen  of  modern  times, 
were  believers  on  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  many  learned  men  of  our 
days  are,  at  the  same  time,  prominent  men  in  the  Christian  church. 
Learninir  and  education  are  not  barriers  against  the  Christian  faith. 
The  true  cause  of  infidelity  is  always  to  be  sought  in  man's  will. 
A  person  may  think  that  he  does  not  believe  because  he  cannot 
on  account  of  his  own  convictions  to  the  contrary,  but  if  he  will 
examine  his  own  heart  honestly  and  sincerely,  he  will  alwavs  find 
that  he  does  not  like  to  part  with  some  pet  sin,  or  that  he  is  loath 
to  put  up  with  some  things  that  true  believers  must  endure.  This 
is  shown  in  our  Gospel  by  the  example  of  the  Jews  with  whom 
Jesus  disputed  in  the  temple.  Let  us,  therefore,  consider,  with 
the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  the  question, 

WHY  IS  IT  THAT  SO  MANY  CANNOT  BELIEVE  ON  THE  LORD 
JESUS  CHRIST? 

The  answer  is  threefold, 

I.  Becanse  they  do  not  want  to  hear  the  timth, 
n.  Because  theij  despise  the  Lord's  grace. 
III.  Because  Christ's  divinity  is  foolishness  unto  them. 

I. 

In  the  third  article  of  the  Creed  we  confess  according  to  our 
Catechism,  "I  believe  that  I  cannot  by  my  own  reason  and 
strength  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  my  Lord,  or  come  to  Him." 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    IX    LEXT.  147 

This  means  that  natural  man  cannot  by  his  own  natural  power 
decide  for  Christ  and  himself  make  up  his  mind  to  believe.  But 
it  does  not  mean  that  such  natural  inability  may  be  tendered  as 
an  excuse  and  that  it  could  not  be  overcome.  The  root  and  source 
of  this  inability  lies  in  man's  perverted  will.  He  cannot  believe 
because  he  does  not  want  to  believe. 

This  is  clearly  shown  in  our  Gospel.  Christ  says  to  the  Jews, 
*^  Which  of  you  convincetJi  me  of  sin?  And  if  I  say  the  trutlt^ 
lohy  do  ye  not  believe  meV  The  Jew^s  did  not  want  to  hear  the 
truth,  as  Jesus  testifies  here.  He  asks,  *'  Which  of  you  con- 
vinceth  me  of  sinT''  He  had  lived  among  them.  They  had  closely 
watched  His  deeds  and  sayings.  Now  they  should  bear  witness 
to  the  truth  and  own  the  truth.  They  should  either  name  and 
prove  a  sin  which  He  did,  or  openly  confess  His  sinlessness  and 
believe  Him.  Do  they  convince  Him  of  sin?  They  know  that 
they  cannot.  Do  they,  then,  admit  His  holiness?  They  do  not. 
B}^  such  conduct  they  prove  that  they  are  opposed  to  the  truth 
and  do  not  want  to  hear  the  truth,  and  for  that  very  reason  do 
not  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus. 

Christ  says,  furthermore,  "//e  that  is  of  Godyheareth  God's 
words:  ye  therefore  hear  them  not,  because  ye  are  not  of  God.''' 
They  had  God's  words,  the  Law^  and  the  prophets.  Both  Moses 
and  the  prophets  wrote  of  the  Messiah  and  His  works,  and  Jesus 
did  exactly  the  works  which  the  Messiah  was  to  perform.  Why 
did  the  Jews  not  pay  any  attention  to  that?  Jesus  proved  His 
sayings  by  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament ;  He  Himself 
spoke  the  Word  of  God.  Why  did  they  not  listen  to  Him?  They 
show  by  such  conduct  that  they  are  enemies  of  the  truth,  and  for 
that  reason  do  not  l)elieve  on  the  Lord  Jesus. 

Yea,  the}^  resort  to  lies  and  blasphemy.  For  we  are  told, 
'■'■Then  answered  the  Jews,  and  said  unto  Him,  Say  ive  not  icell 
that  Thou  art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  devil?''''  They  cannot 
answer  the  Lord's  questions,  their  conscience  smarts,  they  know 
that  they  are  doing  wrong;  still,  from  pure  hatred  they  will  not 
admit  this,  and  they  give  vent  to  their  ill  feeling  by  uttering  blas- 
phemy. Did  these  Jews  have  any  excuse  for  their  infidelity? 
Yerih'  not.     They  did  not  want  to  hear  the  truth. 

And  to  this  day  why  is  it  that  so  many  who  possess  the  Bible 
and  live  amonof  the  Christians  cannot  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus? 


148  FIFTH    SUNDAY    IN    LENT. 

Is  it  because  they  are  too  well  educated,  too  far  advanced  in  wis- 
dom and  knowledge,  too  nuich  enlightened?  That  claim  is  per- 
sistently made  by  their  chamijions.  But  facts  are  stubborn  things, 
and  the  fact  is  that  some  of  the  greatest  thinkers  were  Christians. 
"Why,  then,  do  learned  men  among  the  infidels  not  believe?  Cer- 
tainly not  because  of  their  high  intellectual  standing,  but  because 
they  do  not  want  to  hear  the  truth.  Christ's  sinlessness,  His 
divine  works,  His  precious  Gospel  is  before  them,  they  cannot 
gainsay  it,  it  is  attested  by  better  evidence  than  any  historical 
fact  which  they  believe.  Why  are  they  so  ready  to  believe  almost 
any  theory  that  ojiposes  religion,  and  so  eager  to  discredit  the 
Gos})el?  The  fault  lies  in  their  own  sinful  heart  which  cannot 
bear  the  truth. 

Furthermore,  if  these  infidels,  as  they  often  claim,  would  like 
to  believe  if  only  they  could,  why  do  they  not  hear  the  "Word  of 
God,  through  which  faith  is  planted  in  the  heart?  AVh}'  do  they 
shun  the  preaching  of  the  "Word?  "Why  do  they  not  read  the 
Bible?  Must  not  Christ  say  to  them  the  same  words  which  He 
spoke  to  the  Jews,  "//e  tliat  is  of  God  luareth  God" >>  ivords:  ye 
therefore  hear  them  not,  because  ye  are  not  of  God'^?  Do  they 
not  show  by  such  indifference  that  they  do  not  want  to  hear 
the  truth? 

Finally,  such  infidels  as  resort  to  lies  and  blasphemy,  as  un- 
scrupulously pervert  the  "Word  of  God  and  denounce  the  Christian 
religion  as  fraud  and  hypocrisy,  why  can  they  not  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus?  Because  of  their  sincerity  and  conscientiousness? 
No;  like  those  obdurate  Jews,  with  whom  Christ  disputed  in  the 
temple,  they  do  not  want  the  truth. 

11. 
The  second  reason  why  so  many  cannot  believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  is  because  they  despise  the  Lord's  grace.  We  read,  "■Jesus 
answered,  I  have  not  a  devil;  but  I  honor  my  Father,  and  ye 
dishonor  me.  And  I  seek  not  mine  own  glory :  there  is  One  that 
seekefh  and  Judgefh/''  These  Jews  dishonored  Jesus.  They  had 
made  up  their  minds  that  this  man  should  not  be  their  jNIessiah, 
and  they  op})osed  Him  so  much  the  more,  because  all  the  in- 
dications were  in  His  favor.  In  their  council  they  said,  "What 
do  we?   for  this  man  docth  many  miracles.     If  we  let  Him  thus 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    IN    LENT.  149 

alone  till  men  will  believe  on  Him,  and  the  Romans  shall  come 
and  take  away  both  our  place  and  nation."  They  would  not 
humble  themselves  under  this  man  Jesus,  who  claimed  to  be  the 
Messiah,  and  was  not  such  a  Messiah  as  they  expected,  not  a 
great  worldly  ruler,  who  could  smite  the  nations  and  establish 
the  throne  of  David.  They  were  too  proud  and  worldly-minded 
to  accept  His  grace  and  to  receive  from  Him  eternal  life.  When, 
therefore,  Jesus  said  to  them,  "■Verdi/,  verily,  I  say  unto  you. 
If  a  man  keep  my  saying,  he  sJtall  never  see  death,'''  then  the 
Jews  said  unto  Him,  '-'-Now  we  know  that  Thou  hast  a  devil. 
Abraham  is  dead,  and  the  prophets;  and  Thou  nayest.  If  a  man 
keep  my  saying,  he  shall  never  taste  of  death.  Art  Thou  greater 
than  our  father  Abraham,  which  is  dead?  and  the  j^^'ophets  are 
dead:  ivhom  makest  Thou  Thyself?'"  Behold  how  angry  they 
get  when  Jesus  speaks  of  eternal  life,  to  be  received  by  the 
keeping  of  His  saying,  that  is,  by  faith  in  Him  !  Behold  how 
they  pervert  the  words  of  His  mouth  and  construe  them  as  if 
He  were  speaking  of  natural  death  !  Behold  how  they  despise 
His  grace  and  mercy  !  It  is  apparent,  they  are  too  proud, 
too  self-righteous  to  humble  themselves  and  to  receive  eternal 
life  as  a  gift  of  His  grace,  by  faith  in  Him.  Hence  their  in- 
fidelity. 

And,  to  this  day,  why  is  it  that  so  many  cannot  believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus?  Is  it  not  because  they  are  self-righteous  and 
expect  to  get  to  heaven  by  their  own  good  works  and  righteous- 
ness? Is  it  not  because  they  despise  the  Lord's  grace?  They 
are  puffed  up  with  pride,  with  egotism,  with  arrogance,  and  con- 
ceitedness.  Is  it,  then,  to  be  wondered  at  that  they  despise  the 
Lord's  grace  and  cannot  believe?  Unto  such  people  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  grace  through  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  foolishness.  They  are  too  i:)roud  to  admit  that  they  are 
damnable  sinners.  It  is  too  deg-radino^  for  them  to  think  so  low 
and  little  of  themselves.  They  are  too  proud  to  humble  them- 
selves before  their  divine  Maker.  They  will  even  criticise  His 
doings,  His  works  in  nature,  His  dealings  with  mankind,  and 
prescribe  to  the  Almighty  hoAv  He  must  rule  the  universe.  They 
are  too  proud  to  receive  eternal  life  as  a  gift  of  God's  grace  and 
mercy.  If  still  they  believe  in  a  Supreme  Being  and  a  future 
world,  they  expect  to  get  there  by  their  own  efforts,  by  their 


150  FIFTH    SUNDAY    IN    LENT. 

trood  behavior  in  this  Hfe,  b}'  their  own  virtues,  by  doing  what 
thev  themselves  consider  to  be  right  and  pleasing  to  the  Creator. 
But  a  Savior  of  sinners  they  despise  and  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  which  flowed  also  for  them,  they  tread 
under  foot.  They  despise  the  Lord's  grace.  And  that  is  the 
true  reason  why  they  cannot  believe. 

III. 

But  there  is  one  thing  in  particular  which  is  especially  ob- 
jectionable to  an  iniidel,  and  that  is  Christ's  divinity. 

At  the  end  of  our  Gospel  we  read,  '■'■  Jesus  answered^  If  I 
honor  i/it/seJf,  vi//  /loiior  is  notJiiiKj :  it  is  my  Father  that  IwnoretJi 
me,  of  u-hom  ye  say,  that  He  is  your  God.  Yet  ye  have  not 
knoicn  lliin;  but  I  know  Hint:  and  if  I  should  say,  I  know 
Him  not,  I  shall  he  a  liar  like  unto  you:  hut  I  knovj  Him,  and 
keep  His  saying.  Your  father  Ahraham  rejoiced  to  see  my  day : 
and  he  saw  it,  and  was  glad.  Then  said  the  Jews  unto  Him, 
Thou  art  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  and  hast  seen  Abraham?  Jesus 
said  unto  them,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  Before  Ahraham 
2vas,  I  am.""  Here  Christ  attests  His  divinity.  He  says  that 
Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  His  day,  believing  on  Him  as  the  Seed 
in  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed.  The 
Jews  well  understood  the  meaning  of  these  words.  Scornfully 
they  retort,  '•'■Tlwu  art  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  and  hast  seen 
Abraham?'''  And  what  is  Christ's  reply?  He  says,  "'Verily, 
vcrih/,  I  say  unto  you.  Before  Ahraliam  ivas,  I  am.''  Our  Eng- 
lish Bible  reads,  "Before  Abraham  was,"  but  the  exact  trans- 
lation is,  "Before  Abraham  was  made."  This  implies  that  Abra- 
ham was  a  creature  of  God.  And  in  o})position  thereto  Christ 
says,  "I  am,"  and  this  implies  that  Christ  is  not  a  creature,  that 
He  is  eternal,  that  He  is  God.  This  is  just  as  plain  as  when  He 
says,  "Unto  me  is  given  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  ;"  just 
as  plain  as  when  St.  Paul  says,  "Christ  is  God  blessed  forever;" 
just  as  i)lain  as  when  St.  John  says,  "This  (Jesus  Christ)  is  the 
true  God  and  eternal  life."  And  what  response  do  the  Jews 
make?  "  Then  took  they  up  stones  to  cast  at  Him:  but  Jesus  hid 
Hinisdf,  and  went  out  of  the  temple,  going  through  the  midst  of 
them,  and  so  passed  by."  They  cannot  find  words  with  which 
to  express  their  disgust.      They  mean  to  stone  Jesus  as  a  bias- 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    IN    LENT.  151 

phemer.  The  assertion  of  His  divinity  it  was  which  enraged  them 
and  made  them  act  Hke  madmen. 

Why  is  it,  to  this  day,  that  so  many  cannot  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus?  Is  it  not  because  Ciirist's  divinity  is  utter  foolish- 
ness and  such  a  great  stumbling-block  unto  them?  Like  the 
Jews  in  our  Gospel  they  make  Him  the  greatest  liar  and  im- 
postor that  ever  lived.  There  is  a  class  of  inlidels  who  claim 
to  be  Christ's  true  disciples  and  say  that  they  walk  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Christ,  proclaiming  the  Gospel  of  love,  wdiile,  at  the 
same  time,  they  deny  His  miracles,  His  divinity,  His  redemp- 
tion, and  all  the  essentials  of  the  Gospel  truth.  What  an 
absurdity  to  claim  the  Christian  name,  and  yet  deny  Christ ! 
Others,  more  true  to  the  evil  designs  of  their  wicked  hearts, 
say,  Jesus  wns  led  to  proclaim  Himself  the  Son  of  God  and 
the  Lord's  Anointed  from  human  weakness,  being  intoxicated 
with  the  homage  paid  to  Him  by  His  disciples.  Why,  then, 
can  these  infidels  not  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus?  Is  it  because 
they  are  so  conscientious  concerning  the  Gospel  truth?  No,  it 
is  because  the  Gospel  is  foolishness  unto  them,  because  they 
harbor  ill  feelings  in  their  own  bosoms  against  the  divine  Lord, 
and  will  not  concede  His  divinity,  in  spite  of  overwhelming  evi- 
dences. 

Let  us  not  be  deceived  by  the  pretensions  of  infidels,  when 
they  say  that  they  feel  sorry  because  they  could  not  believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Whosoever  is  sorry  for  his  infidelity,  in  him 
God  has  already  begun  His  work  ;  and  his  sorrow,  if  true,  will 
soon  turn  into  joy  and  saving  faith.  The  Lord  grant  unto  us  all 
His  grace  that  we  may  not  resist  His  Holy  Spirit,  but  yield  to 
the  life-giving  power  of  His  Word,  and  believe  with  all  our  soul 
on  Him  who  has  bought  us  with  His  own  precious  blood  and  with 
His  innocent  sufferino^  and  death.    Amen. 


11 


152  PALM    SUNDAY. 

PALM  SUNDAY. 


ADDRESS  TO  THE  CATECHUMENS. 

KoM.  1,  It;. 
I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ:  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth. 

My  Deakly  Belo\tcd  Children  : 

As  often  us  you  came  to  this  church  before  this  day,  you 
came  to  hear  God  speak  to  you.  His  divine  Word  was  pro- 
claimed to  you,  and  where  His  Word  is  prochiimed  there  God 
speaks  Himself.  But  what  is  the  purpose  of  your  visit  in  the 
house  of  God  on  this  day?  To-day  you  came  not  only  to  hear 
God  speak  to  you,  but  also  to  speak  before  God  yourselves.  And 
what  is  it  you  intend  to  say  to  God?  You  intend  to  give  Him 
a  solemn  promise,  a  promise  which  the  entire  congregation  shall 
hear  and  by  which  you  shall  bind  yourselves  to  your  God  for  all 
the  days  of  your  lives.  You  shall  promise  Him  faithfulness  unto 
death.  You  shall  promise  Him  that  you  will  always  serve  and 
obey  Him,  never  forsake  Him,  never  desert  Him,  that  neither 
poverty  nor  riches,  neither  honor  nor  reproach,  neither  life  nor 
death,  that  absolutely  nothing  in  this  world  shall  ever  sever  your 
connection  with  God  and  the  true  Church.  Will  3'ou  keep  this 
promise?  O  my  dearly  beloved  children,  before  the  omniscient 
God,  who  searches  the  depths  of  the  heart,  I  ask  you,  Will  you 
keep  this  solemn  promise?  Will  you  all,  every  one  of  you,  re- 
main with  Christ  and  His  Church?  Oh,  it  is  a  sad  exi)erience 
that  b}^  a  great  immber  of  children  the  confirmation  vow  is  soon 
set  at  nought.  Thousands  of  children  stood  before  the  altar  on 
confirmation  da}'  with  tears  in  their  ej^es  and  the  best  resolves  in 
their  hearts  and  promised  to  be  faithful  unto  death.  And  what 
became  of  them  later  on?  For  a  while  they  appeared  to  be 
walking  the  narrow  way  that  leads  to  eternal  life,  but  gradually 
they  drifted  away  from  the  church  and  from  their  (iod  and 
swelled  the  large  number  of  the  lost.  They  did  not  stand  firm 
in  the  hour  of  temptation.  They  began  to  love  the  world  and 
its  evil  lusts.  The}'  felt  loath  to  bear  the  cross  of  Christ  and  the 
reproach  which  the  world  heai)s  upon  them  that  pray,  and  go  to 
(■inii-cii,  and  make  an  open  profession  of  the  Christian  faith.    And 


PALM    SUNDAY.  153 

SO  they  felt  ashamed  of  Christ  whose  name  they  solenmly  con- 
fessed before  men  on  the  day  of  their  conlirmation ;  ashamed  of 
their  faith,  of  their  God,  of  their  chm-ch  ;  ashamed  of  prayer, 
ashamed  of  being  seen  going  to  church,  ashamed  of  confessing 
their  Savior  before  the  world,  ashamed  of  being  true  Christians. 
With  a  seared  conscience  they  deserted  the  Christian  ranks  and 
joined  the  host  of  Christ's  enemies,  Avalking  the  broad  way  that 
leads  to  eternal  ijerdition.  O  may  the  Lord  grant  that  not  a 
single  one  of  you  shall  ever  do  such  a  thing !  May  the  Lord 
grant  that  on  the  last  day  every  one  of  you  shall  be  found  stand- 
ing at  the  right  hand  of  Christ  and  hear  His  words  :  "Come,  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world  I" 

Now  to  enable  you  to  stand  firm  in  all  the  temptations  of 
life,  let  me  call  your  attention  to  a  precious  Word  of  God.  This 
Word  of  God  you  must  always  bear  in  mind  and  never  forget  as 
long  as  you  live.  And  if  this  you  do,  you  will  certainly  keep  the 
great  promise  of  the  day.    We  find  the  same  recorded  Rom.  1,16: 

I  AM  NOT  ASHAMED  OF  THE  GOSPEL  OF  CHRIST:   FOR  IT  IS  THE 

POWER  OF  GOD  UNTO  SALVATION  TO  EVERY  ONE  THAT 

BELIEVETH. 

I. 

"/  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.''  Who  said 
this?  The  greatest  and  most  learned  man  among  the  apostles, 
St.  Paul.  Not  always  could  he  say,  "I  am  not  ashamed  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ."  There  was  a  time  when  he  hated  and  de- 
tested nothing  more  than  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  That  was  before 
his  conversion,  when  his  name  was  Saul.  When  Stephen,  the 
first  Christian  martyr,  was  stoned  to  death,  Saul  watched  the 
clothes  of  those  who  did  the  killing  and  took  great  pleasure  in 
the  martyr's  death.  And  then  he  searched  the  houses  in  Jeru- 
salem and  committed  to  prison  all  the  Christians  whom  he  could 
find.  Not  satisfied  therewith,  he  proceeded  to  Damascus  to  per- 
secute the  Christians.  But  on  his  way  to  Damascus  the  most 
unexpected  thing  in  the  world  came  to  pass.  Saul,  the  perse- 
cutor of  the  Church  of  God,  was  converted  to  Christ  in  a  most 
wonderful  way.  There  was  a  light  from  heaven  blinding  him, 
and  a  voice,  which  called  to  him,  "Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest 
thou  me?  —  I  am  Jesus,  whom  thou  persecutest."     He  was  led 


1,34  r.vLM  srxDAY. 

to  Damascus  now  and  remained  ])lind  for  three  days.  But  he 
no  more  thought  of  persecuting  the  Christians.  When  his  sight 
had  l)ecn  restored  by  a  Christian  named  Ananias,  he  was  bap- 
tized and  immediately  began  to  preach  in  the  synagogues  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God.  And  from  this  time  forth  he  was  not 
ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  He  traveled  from  place  to 
place,  and  visited  nearly  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  Old  World, 
and  wherever  he  appeared  he  proclaimed  the  Gospel  that  Ciirist 
Jesus  is  come  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.  He  was  beaten, 
scourged,  cast  into  prison,  stoned  for  preaching  the  Gospel.  He 
was  mocked,  scoffed,  laughed  at  by  the  would-be  wise  men  of 
this  world,  because  he  believed  such  a  silly  thing  as  was  to  their 
minds  the  Gos})el  of  Christ.  But  he  never  faltered,  never 
wavered,  never  clianged  his  opinion.  Boldly  did  he  confess  the 
faith  before  Jews  and  Gentiles,  before  the  rich  and  the  poor, 
before  the  learned  and  unlearned,  even  before  princes  and  kings. 
He  was  a  man  who  was  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

My  dear  children,  will  you  ever  be  ashamed  of  this  Gospel? 
O  that  I  could  fasten  upon  your  souls  in  indelible  characters, 
never  to  l)e  forgotten,  always  to  be  remembered,  these  blessed 
words:  "/ «m  not  aaJiamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,'''  In  the 
wide  world  which  is  before  you  and  through  which  you  are  to 
pass,  you  will  meet  with  all  sorts  of  people,  and  many  of  them 
will  1)0  wicked  people,  godless  people,  people  who  will  do  all 
they  can  to  make  you  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  They 
will  laugh  at  you  and  sneer  at  you  because  you  pray,  and  go  to 
church,  and  lead  a  Christian  life.  They  will  tell  you  that  you 
were  the  greatest  fools  to  believe  what  the  Bible  says,  that  in 
this  age  of  enlightenment  and  progress  no  intelligent  i)erson  could 
hold  on  to  what  is  called  the  faith  of  our  fathers,  that  there  is 
neither  a  heaven  nor  a  hell,  and  that  it  were  doul)tful  at  least  if 
there  be  a  (iod.  And  not  only  by  infidels  and  open  blasphemers 
will  you  be  ajjproaehod;  there  will  be  others  who  will  do  all  in 
their  power  to  make  you  ashamed  of  the  Gospel.  False  prophets 
also,  men  who  claim  to  be  Christians  and  jx'rvert  the  true  Chris- 
tian doctrine,  will  endeavor  to  lead  you  astray.  They  will  come 
to  you  in  sheep's  clothing,  that  is,  in  Christian  disguise,  and  i)re- 
tending  to  mean  well  with  you.  They  will  talk  Scripture  and 
act  as  though  they  would  only  have  you  know  the  truth,  and  be 


VAL.M    SUNDAY.  155 

God's  dear  children,  and  be  sure  of  heaven.  But  inwardly  they 
are  ravening  wolves.  Their  real  object,  though  themselves  they 
might  not  be  aware  of  it,  is  to  make  you  ashamed  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ.  They  will  tell  you  that  you  must  rely  on  the  feelings 
of  your  own  sinful  heart  for  your  conversion  and  salvation,  or 
that  you  must  gain  heaven  by  your  own  earnest  endeavors.  And 
what  is  that  but  setting  aside  the  Gospel  of  Christ?  My  dear 
children,  be  not  deceived.  You  have  been  instructed  in  the  pure 
doctrine  of  the  divine  Word,  in  God's  Word  and  Luther's  doctrine 
pure.  Let  no  man  take  from  you  that  which  has  been  entrusted 
to  you,  whether  he  be  an  infidel  or  a  false  })rophet.  Remember 
Paul's  words  to  the  Galatians,  "If  any  man  i)reach  any  other 
Gospel  unto  you  than  that  ye  have  received,  let  him  be  accursed." 
But  it  will  not  suffice  to  confess  the  Gospel  with  the  lips  only. 
For  in  this  case  you  would  be  numbered  with  those  of  whom  Jesus 
says,  "Not  ever}^  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  By  your  lives  you  must  show  that 
you  are  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Once  more,  dear 
children,  I  warn  you,  at  this  solemn  occasion,  as  I  have  warned 
you  many  a  time.  Beware  of  sin  !  Obey  the  commandments  of 
the  Lord.  Never  do  such  things  or  say  such  things  as  you  would 
feel  ashamed  to  say  or  do  in  the  presence  or  with  the  knowledge 
of  your  father  and  mother.  Always  remember  that  God  knows 
and  sees  everything  you  say  or  do.  Do  .not  neglect  your  daily 
prayers.  He  that  prays  no  more  is  spiritually  dead  and  is  ashamed 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Attend  the  divine  services  regularly. 
He  that  does  not  go  to  church  and  has  no  desire  to  hear  the  preach- 
ing of  God's  Word  is  not  of  God  and  plainly  shows  that  he  is 
ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Come  frequently  to  the  Lord's 
Supper.  He  that  will  no  more  comply  with  Christ's  command, 
"This  do  ye  in  remembrance  of  me,"  is  no  less  ashamed  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  than  he  who  despises  preaching  and  God's  Word. 

II. 

And  why  should  you  not  be  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  ? 
The  apostle  says,  '^For  it  ts  the  j^oiver  of  God  unto  salvation  to 
every  one  that  helievetJi.'' 

Must  you  not  say  from  your  own  experience  that  the  Gospel 
of  Christ  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that 


156  PAL3r    SUNDAY. 

believeth  ?  Did  not  the  Spirit  of  God  often  move  your  hearts  by 
this  precious  Gospel  ?  Have  you  not  been  led  to  say  with  St.  Paul, 
"This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners"?  When  the 
inestimable  love  of  God  to  us  poor  lost  and  condemned  sinners  in 
His  ])oloved  Son  Jesus  Christ  was  pictured  to  you,  when  you  were 
shown  how  kind  God  is  to  us  and  how  He  longs  and  yearns  to  have 
all  men  to  be  saved,  were  you  not  sometimes  made  to  feel  as 
though  you  must  leave  this  world  and  hasten  to  God  and  to  your 
blessed  Savior  Jesus  and  be  with  Him  forever? 

O  dear  children,  abide  with  Jesus,  then,  and  with  His  precious 
Gospel.  Solemnly  I  declare  unto  you  in  the  presence  of  God  and 
this  congregation  that  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  thing 
which  will  make  you  happy,  truly  happy  both  in  this  life  and  in 
the  world  which  is  to  come.  The  Gospel  is  the  glad  tidings  of  the 
grace  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  as  long  as  you  sincerely  believe 
in  the  Savior  Jesus,  you  will  find  that  the  Gospel  is  truly  the  power 
of  God  unto  3'()ur  salvation.  The  Gospel  will  assure  you  that  it 
was  for  your  sins  also  that  Jesus  died  on  the  cross,  that,  though 
you  be  and  remain  sinners  as  long  as  you  live,  your  transgressions 
have  all  been  blotted  out,  that  God  is  pleased  with  you  for  His  dear 
Son's  sake,  and  that  nothing  can  happen  to  you  against  the  will  of 
your  ofood  God  and  Lord.  And  when  death  comes  and  you  nmst 
leave  this  world,  the  Gospel  will  enable  you  to  face  the  last  grim 
foe  without  fear  and  trembling.  You  will  commend  your  soul 
into  God's  hands  and  depart  in  peace,   falling  asleep  in  Jesus. 

Let  this  be  your  highest  aim,  then,  and  the  main  object  for 
which  you  strive  upon  this  earth,  to  obtain  eternal  salvation. 
"What  good  will  all  the  pleasures  of  life,  all  the  honor  among 
men,  and  all  the  riches  of  this  Avorld  do  you,  if  in  the  end  you 
would  have  to  shai'e  the  rich  man's  fate  in  hell  and  torments? 
"What  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  w^orld  and  lose 
his  .soul?"  Therefore,  "Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith,  lay  hold 
on  eternal  life,  whereunto  you  are  also  called,  and  have  professed 
a  good  profession  before  many  witnesses."  Never  be  ashamed  of 
the  Gospel  of  Christ,  which  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to 
every  one  that  believeth.  Be  faithful,  be  faithful  unto  death,  and 
you  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life,  which  the  Lord  has  promised 
to  them  tlnit  love  Him.     Amen. 


(JOOD    FRIDAY.  157 

GOOD  FRIDAY. 


Dear  dying  Lamb,  Thy  precious  blood 
Shall  never  lose  its  power, 
Till  all  the  ransomed  church  of  God 
Be  saved  to  sin  no  more. 

Luke  23,  46—48. 
And  when  Jesus  had  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  he  said.  Father,  into  thy  hands 
I  commend  my  spirit:  and  having  said  tlius,  he  gave  up  the  ghost.  Now  wlien 
the  centurion  saw  what  was  done,  lie  gloritied  God,  saying.  Certainly  this  was 
a  righteous  man.  And  all  the  people  that  came  together  to  that  sight,  beholding 
the  things  which  were  done,  smote  their  breasts,  and  returned. 

In  the  Lamb  that  was  Slain  Beloved  Fellow  Christians: 

What  shall  we  do?  Shall  we  weep,  or  shall  we  rejoice?  To- 
day we  must  sing, 

Alas,  and  did  my  Savior  bleed, 
And  did  my  Sovereign  die? 

And  surely,  if  ever  there  was  an  occasion  for  shedding  tears,  it  is 
the  memorial  day  of  Jesus'  death,  who  died  for  us  all  and  gave 
His  life  as  a  sacrifice  to  atone  for  our  sins.  But  again  we  know, 
had  Jesus  not  died  for  us,  we  should  all  be  lost  and  suffer  eternal 
misery  in  the  world  to  come ;  and  it  was  the  death  of  our  divine 
Lord  that  rescued  us  from  this  terrible  doom  and  opened  unto  us 
the  gates  of  paradise,  that  we  might  live  in  hapi)iness  and  bliss 
which  words  cannot  describe.  Must  not  Good  Friday,  viewed 
from  such  a  point,  be  unto  us  all  a  day  of  great  rejoicing,  since 
this  da}'^  we  were  rescued  from  hell,  and  the  gates  of  heaven  were 
thrown  ojien  before  us  ? 

If  ever  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  whose  sacred  duty  it  is  to 
proclaim  the  divine  truth,  must  feel  his  own  inability,  it  is  on  this 
day,  when  he  is  confronted  with  the  most  important  event  in  the 
history  of  this  world,  when  he  is  to  dwell  upon  that  which  came  to 
pass  on  Mount  Calvary.  "That  spot  is  the  center  of  all  things. 
The  streams  of  ancient  history  converge  here,  and  here  the  river 
of  modern  history  takes  its  rise.  The  eyes  of  patriarchs  and 
prophets  strained  forward  to  Calvaiy,  and  now  the  eyes  of  all 
generations  and  of  all  races  look  back  to  it.  The  seeker  after 
truth  who  has  explored  the  realms  of  knowledge  comes  to  Cal- 


158  GOOD    FRIDAY. 

vary,  and  finds  at  last  that  he  has  reached  the  center.  The  weary 
heart  of  man  that  has  wandered  the  world  over  in  search  of  per- 
fect sympathy  and  love,  at  last  arrives  here  and  finds  rest." 

Still,  though  the  theme  be  too  high  for  human  thought,  we 
Avill  venture  forward,  and  occupy  our  minds  with  it,  and  receive 
into  our  hearts  as  nuich  as  we  can  of  the  truth  that  has  a  breadth 
and  length,  a  height  and  depth  which  pass  understanding.  With 
the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  let  us  consider, 

THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS, 
and  see 

I.  How  JeKuti  died,  and 
II.  Wliat  is  the  effect  of  His  death. 

I. 

Jesus  died  on  the  cross.  His  last  sufferino;  began  the  ni^-ht 
before  in  the  garden  Gethscmane,  Avhere  He  felt  the  approach  of 
this  last  terrible  struggle  and,  in  consequence  thereof.  His  agony 
became  so  intense  that  drops  of  sweat  intermingled  with  blood  fell 
from  His  face  upon  the  ground.  During  that  sleepless  night  He 
was  abused  in  various  ways.  He  was  taken  captive,  and  led  from 
one  place  to  another;  and  in  the  morning  He  was  delivered  to  the 
Roman  governor  Pontius  Pilate.  Then  He  was  scourged,  and 
crowned  with  thorns,  and  illtreated  until  He  Avas  almost  exhausted 
from  pain  and  fatigue.  At  last  He  was  affixed  to  the  cross.  His 
hands  and  feet  being  pierced  with  nails. 

But  hoAV  did  Jesus  die  on  the  cross?  What  Avas  the  cause  of 
His  death?  Did  He  die  from  exhaustion?  Did  He  hold  on  to  life 
as  long  as  He  could,  and  did  He  grow  Aveaker  and  Aveaker  while 
hanging  on  tin;  cross,  until  His  strength  failed  Him  and  life  i)assed 
away?  Did  life  ebb  away  and  vanish  slowly  and  finally  disap[)car, 
like  a  stream  that  is  lost  in  the  sands  of  the  desert?  St.  Luke 
says,  "7/e  cried  with  a  loud  voice.''  Loud  did  His  voice  ring 
through  the  darkness  that  attended  His  death  on  Mount  Calvary. 
A  man  dying  from  exhaustion  can  scarcely  utter  a  faint  whisper 
in  his  last  moments,  and  his  attendants  must  strain  their  ears  to 
catcli  liis  l;jst  Avords.  Jesus,  therefore,  did  not  die  from  ex- 
haustion. He  was  in  full  possession  of  His  strength  to  the  last 
minute.  This  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  features  connected 
Avith  His  death.      It  Avas  so  surprising  to  all  who  witnessed  the 


GOOD    FRIDAY.  159 

death  of  the  divine  Sufferer,  that  they  did  not  know  what  to 
make  of  it.  We  are  tokl,  "They  feared  greatly,"  and  even  Pilate 
marveled  when  he  was  informed  that  Jesus  was  already  dead. 
The  crucified  generally  lingered  from  twelve  to  forty-eio-ht  and 
even  to  seventy-two  hours.  And  to  see  a  crucified  man  die  shout- 
ing with  a  loud  voice,  this  was  something  unheard  of. 

Perhaps  some  one  will  say,  What  is  the  difference?  Is  it  not 
sufficient  simply  to  know  that  Jesus  died  for  us?  What  does  it 
concern  us  whether  He  died  from  exhaustion  or  in  full  strenoth? 
My  friends,  that  is  not  a  matter  of  indifference.  Had  Jesus  died 
from  exhaustion,  had  He  held  on  to  life  until  He  had  to  give  up 
His  soul,  then  it  would  be  apparent  that  He  was  not  God  but  a 
mere  man.  Then  the  old  serpent  really  would  have  conquered 
Him  in  this  great  struggle.  This  crjdng  with  a  loud  voice  shows 
that  Jesus  did  not  die  because  He  had  to  yield  to  the  inevitable, 
that  His  death  was  not  an  irresistible  doom,  but  an  act  of  His  will. 
Jesus  certainly  suffered  and  endured  all  the  pains  of  a  dying  man. 
But  while  mortal  man  dies  because  he  must,  Jesus,  the  Son  of 
God,  died  because  He  would.  He  certainly  could  have  more  than 
outlived  the  thieves  that  were  crucified  with  Him.  But  He  died 
voluntarily.  Did  He  not  say  to  the  Jews,  "I  lay  down  my  life 
that  I  might  take  it  again.  No  man  taketh  it  from  me,  but  I  lay 
it  down  of  myself"?  Voluntarily  Jesus  surrendered  Himself  to 
His  enemies.  Never  would  they  have  been  able  to  apprehend 
Him,  or  to  do  Him  any  harm,  had  He  resisted.  But  it  was  of 
His  own  will  that  He  submitted  to  their  ill  treatment,  to  the 
scourging,  crucifixion,  and  all  the  sufferings.  It  was  of  His  own 
will  that  He  brought  the  great  sacrifice  of  His  life  and  gave  up 
the  o;host. 

We  are  also  told  which  were  His  last  words.  The  last  words 
of  a  dying  friend  or  relative  are  dear  to  us,  especially  if  they  are 
words  of  Scripture.  Christ's  last  words  were  a  (juotatiou  from 
that  most  precious  of  all  the  books  in  the  Old  Testament,  from 
the  thirty-first  Psalm.  '■'He  said.  Father,  into  Jliy  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit:  and  having  said  thus.  He  gave  up  the  ghost,'' 
Satan,  who  tempted  the  divine  Sufferer  in  the  wilderness,  cer- 
tainly was  close  at  hand  when  Jesus  Avas  dying,  and  eager  to  seize 
His  departing  soul.  But  Jesus  plucked  His  spirit  away  from 
these  hostile  hands  and  securely  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  the 


160  GOOD    FUIUAY. 

Father.  His  spirit  was  now  in  paradise,  while  His  lifeless  body 
was  in  the  hands  of  men,  and  was  afterwards  borne  to  the  grave. 
The  terrible  struofgle  was  ended  and  the  Man  of  Sorrows  was  be- 
yond  the  reach  of  all  the  enemies,  visible  and  invisible,  by  whom 
He  had  been  beset. 

11. 

And  what  is  the  effect  of  His  death  ?  Two  most  remarkable 
incidents  are  recorded  in  our  text,  as  a  direct  result  of  Jesus' 
death,  that  of  the  centurion  glorifying  God,  and  that  of  the  people 
smiting  their  breasts. 

We  read,  ^^N'ow  when  the  centurion  saw  what  was  done,  he 
glorified  God,  sai/ing.  Certainly  this  was  a  righteous  man.'' 
How  wonderful  !  The  centurion  was  a  heathen  and  his  soldiers 
had  abused  the  divine  Sufferer,  had  mocked  Him,  spitted  on 
Him,  crowned  Him  witli  thorns,  and  illtreated  Him  from  the 
moment  He  fell  into  their  hands  until  the  very  last.  The  centu- 
rion himself  may  have  taken  an  active  part  in  these  proceedings, 
at  least  he  did  not  interfere.  But  what  a  chano-e  in  this  man  as 
soon  as  the  head  of  the  ]SIan  upon  the  cross  drops  upon  His  breast 
and  life  departs  !  The  centurion  was  standing  opposite  the  cross 
and  watching  the  dying  victim.  Perhaps  it  had  been  dawning 
upon  his  mind  for  some  time  that  this  Man  must  be,  after  all, 
what  He  claimed  to  ])e.  He  had  heard  each  of  Christ's  remark- 
able words  on  the  cross.  He  had  witnessed  the  wonderful  con- 
version of  the  robber  and  the  inexplical)lc  signs  of  revolting  na- 
ture, the  darkening  of  the  sun  and  the  eartlKjuake.  Now  that 
Jesus'  eyelids  close  in  death  he  cannot  keep  his  peace.  He  bursts 
forth  in  i)raise  of  the  dying  Savior  and  calls  Him  the  Son  of  God, 
as  the  hol}^  Evangelists  report.  Tradition  says  that  this  centu- 
rion's name  was  Longinus,  that  afterwards  he  became  bishop  of 
Cappadocia,  and  ultimately  died  a  martyr. 

The  other  incident  illustrating  the  effect  of  Jesus'  death  is 
recorded  in  the  words,  ^'■^itid  all  the  people  that  came  together 
to  that  sight,  beholding  the  tilings  which  were  done,  smote  their 
breasts,  <iud  returned.''  What  a  wonderful  change  did  Jesus' 
d(>ath  ))r<)duce  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  !  Misled  by  the  elders 
and  chief  j)ri('sts,  persuaded  and  moved  ])y  the  heads  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  they  had  l)een  crowding  around  Pilate's  judgment 


GOOD    KKIDAV.  161 

seat  like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves,  shouting  until  they  were  hoarse, 
"Crucify  Him  !  Crucify  Him  !"  When  Pilate  finally  consented 
to  grant  them  their  ])loodthirsty  wish,  and  washed  his  hands  be- 
fore the  multitude,  saying,  "I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
just  person,  see  ye  to  it,"  they  all  cried  of  one  accord,  "His 
l)lood  be  on  us  and  on  our  children  !"  And  even  while  Jesus  was 
hanging  on  the  cross  the  people  that  passed  by  railed  on  Him, 
wagging  their  heads  and  saying,  "Ah,  Thou  that  destroyest  the 
temple  and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  Thyself ;  if  Thou  be 
the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from  the  cross."  But  what  is  it  we 
hear  of  these  same  people  when  they  behold  the  lifeless  body  of 
their  victim  ?  Their  lips  are  sealed.  They  dare  not  say  any  more. 
But  they  smite  their  breasts,  thereby  indicating  their  sorrow  and 
remorse  for  what  they  had  been  doing. 

And  this,  my  friends,  is  the  effect  of  Jesus'  death  unto  this 
day.  When  you  fix  your  eyes  upon  the  dying  Lord,  when  you 
behold  Him  nailed  on  the  cursed  tree  and  pouring  out  His  soul  in 
death  amid  heartrendino;  agonies  and  sufferino;  what  will  be  the 
effect  ui)on  3^our  soul,  if  you  do  not  willfully  resist  and  harden 
your  own  heart,  as  did  the  chief  priests  and  elders?  The  first 
effect  will  be  extreme  sorrow,  sorrow  for  your  sins  which  have 
caused  the  innocent  suffering  and  painful  death  of  your  divine 
Savior.  You  will  be  moved  to  smite  your  breast  and  to  say.  Oh, 
what  have  I  done?  I  have  nailed  the  Son  of  God  to  the  cross  ! 
My  sin  it  was  which  made  Him  suffer  and  die.  And  the  second 
effect  of  Jesus'  suffering  and  death  is  that  you  will  glorify  God, 
as  did  the  centurion.  You  will  praise  God  and  His  wonderful 
grace  and  mercy,  the  great  love  wherewith  He  so  loved  the  world 
that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son  to  die  that  we  might  live. 
You  will  feel  assured  now,  since  Jesus  died  for  you,  that  your 
sins  are  all  wiped  out,  and  that  the  penalty  is  fully  paid  for  all 
your  transgressions. 

May  the  death  of  our  dear  Savior  produce  in  us  all  this  double 
effect ;  and  thus  we  shall  behold  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world.     Amen. 


162  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

EASTER  SUXDAY. 


Mark  16,  1—8. 
And  when  the  sabbath  was  past,  Mary  Magdalene,  aiul  Mary  the  mother  of 
James,  and  Salome,  had  bought  sweet  spices,  that  they  mifiht  come  and  anoint 
him.  And  very  early  in  the  morning,  the  first  day  of  the  weelv,  they  came  unto 
the  sepulcher  at  the  rising  of  the  sun.  And  they  said  among  themselves.  Who 
shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  sepulcher?  And  Avhen  they 
looked,  they  saw  that  the  stone  was  rolled  away :  for  it  was  very  great.  And 
entering  into  the  sepulcher,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the  right  side, 
clothed  in  a  long  white  garment;  and  they  were  affrighted.  And  he  saith  unto 
them,  Be  not  affrighted:  Ye  seek  .Tesus  of  Nazareth,  wliich  was  crucitted:  he  is 
risen;  he  is  not  here:  behold  the  place  where  they  laid  him.  But  go  your  way, 
tell  his  disciples  and  Peter  that  he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee :  there  shall  ye 
see  him,  as  he  said  unto  you.  And  tiiey  went  out  (piickly,  and  fled  from  the 
sepulcher;  for  they  trembled  and  were  amazed:  neither  said  they  any  thing  to 
any  man;  for  they  were  afraid. 

Hallelujah,  lo,  He  wakes, 

Lives  o'er  death  and  hell  victorious, 

Earth  in  awe  with  trembling  quakes, 

As  the  Hero  rises  glorious, 

He  who  died  on  Golgotha. 

Jesus  lives!     Hallelujah! 

Hallelujali,  see  the  tomb, 

Ye  who  o'er  His  death  are  pining, 

Dry  your  tears,  to  joy  give  room, 

While  the  radiant  sun  is  shining. 

Hear  the  angel's  gloria, 

Jesus  lives!     Hallelujah! 

Yea,  "The  stone  which  the  builders  refused  is  become  the 
head  stone  of  the  corner.  This  is  the  Lord's  doing;  it  is  mar- 
velous in  our  eves.  This  is  the  day  which  the  Lord  hath  made  ; 
we  will  rejoice  and  be  <rlad  in  it."  Thus  did  David  rejoice  in  the 
Old  Testament  when  in  the  spirit,  by  divine  inspiration,  he  saw 
the  glorious  day  in  which  the  Lord's  Anointed,  whom  the  T.«oi-d 
would  not  suffer  to  see  corruption,  would  leave  the  tomb. 

Hut  we  live  in  the  time  of  the  New  Testament.  "What  David 
saw  in  the  dim  future  has  been  fultilled.  Christ  is  risen  from 
the  dead.  Tic;  rose  almost  nineteen  hundred  years  ago.  What 
thrills  of  joy  should  till  our  hearts  as  we  meditate  on  tiiis  glorious 
event !    Is  there  another  day  in  the  history  of  this  world  that  has 


EASTER    8UNDAY.  163 

brought  greater  blessings  for  all  generations,  past,  present,  and 
to  come?  another  day  that  has  brought  greater  deliverance  for 
the  fallen  race  ?  another  day  that  has  witnessed  a  greater  miracle 
than  the  day  of  Christ's  resurrection?  Must  we  not  exclaim  with 
David,  "This  is  the  Lord's  doing;  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes. 
This  is  the  day  which  the  Lord  hath  made  ;  we  will  rejoice  and 
be  glad  in  it"  ? 

No  greater  miracle  can  be  performed  than  to  raise  the  dead. 
How  astounded  should  we  be  if  some  one  would  take  us  to  the 
cemetery  and  before  our  eyes  would  call  forth  and  restore  to  life 
the  decaying  body  of  a  friend  who  sleeps  beneath  the  sod.  This 
was  done.  Christ  of  His  own  power,  and  the  prophets  and  the 
apostles  in  the  power  of  God,  did  raise  'the  dead.  But  what  are 
these  resuscitations  compared  with  Christ's  own  resurrection? 
Christ  was  not  passive  in  His  resurrection.  He  was  not  merely 
raised  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  He  was  active 
in  His  resurrection.  He  Himself  of  His  own  powder  rose  from  the 
dead.  Though  Death  had  claimed  Him  and  bound  Him  witii  his 
fetters  and  chains,  though  He  was  truly  and  perfectly  dead.  His 
heart  ceasing  to  beat  and  not  a  spark  of  life  remaining  in  His 
chilled  and  motionless  body.  He  raised  Himself,  He  freed  Him- 
self from  Death's  cold  embrace,  He  restored  Himself  to  life. 
Can  there  be  a  greater  miracle? 

But  is  Christ's  resurrection  beyond  doubt?  Is  our  joy  on 
Easter  day  well  founded?  May  not  all  these  things  be  a  dream? 
No,  my  friends,  these  things  are  not  a  dream.  If  ever  we  Chris- 
tians can  lift  up  our  heads  in  triumph,  and  defy  all  unbelievers, 
and  rejoice  in  the  faith,  it  is  on  the  day  of  Christ's  resurrection. 
Let  us  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THE  FACT  AND  THE  MEANING  OF  CHRIST'S  RESURRECTION. 

I.    The  indisimtahle  fact, 
II.    TJie  glorious  meaning. 

I. 

To  be  convinced  of  the  fact  of  Christ's  resurrection  all  doubts 
as  to  His  actual  death  must  be  removed.  The  theory  has  been 
advanced  by  the  opponents  of  Christianity,  that  Christ  could  not 
have  been  actually  dead,  that  He  must  have  been  in  a  trance,  and 


164  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

that  the  coolness  of  the  sepuloher  must  have  restored  Him  to  con- 
sciousness. How  absurd  and  utterly  impossible  is  this  theory  ! 
"What  does  our  Gospel  say?  ''And  when  Ike  Sabbath  ivas  jMst, 
Maty  Magdalene^  and  Mart/  the  mother  of  James,  and  Salome, 
had  bought  sweet  spices,  that  they  might  come  and  anoint  Him, 
And  very  early  in  the  morning,  the  first  day  of  the  weeh,  they 
came  unto  the  sepulcher  at  the  rising  of  the  sun.  And  they  said 
amonf/  themselves.  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  from  the  door 
of  the  sepulcher?''  Would  these  women  have  come  to  the  sep- 
ulcher on  Easter  morn  to  anoint  the  body  of  Christ,  to  embalm 
His  body,  if  the  least  doubt  could  have  been  entertained  as  to  His 
actual  death?  if  the  slightest  possibility  had  existed  that  He  might 
be  in  a  trance?  O  how  anxious  would  they  have  been  to  think 
that  He  was  merely  in  a  deathlike  sleep  !  But  they  knew  that 
He  was  truly  dead.  Had  they  not  seen  Him  bow  His  head  on 
the  cross  and  give  up  the  ghost?  Had  they  not  seen  with  their 
own  eyes  how  the  soldier  had  thrust  a  spear  into  His  side  and 
pierced  His  heart,  to  make  sure  of  His  death?  Is  it  not  madness 
to  claim  that  a  man  may  be  merely  in  a  trance  when  the  heart, 
the  center  of  life,  is  destroyed? 

The  fact  of  Christ's  resurrection  is  evinced  by  the  empty 
tomb.  We  read,  ''And  when  they  looked,  they  saiv  that  thi^  stone 
was  rolled  away :  for  it  was  very  great.''  On  Friday  evening, 
when  Jesus  was  buried  by  Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus, 
these  women  were  present  at  the  interment.  They  saw  how  their 
beloved  Master  was  wound  in  a  clean  linen  cloth  with  spices. 
They  saw  how  the  corpse  was  deposited  in  the  new  rock-hewn 
grave.  They  saw  how  a  great  stone  was  rolled  to  the  door  of 
the  sepulcher.  And  what  do  they  behold  now  on  Easter  morn? 
The  stone  is  rolled  away.  The  black,  yawning  opening  of  the 
sepulcher  stares  \\\\o\\  them.  Its  occupant  is  gone.  How  is  this 
to  be  accounted  for?  Was  the  body  stolen?  The  murderers  of 
Christ  had  made  theft  impossible.  They  came  to  Pilate  and  said, 
"Sir,  we  remember  that  that  deceiver  said,  while  He  was  yet 
alive.  After  three  days  I  will  rise  again.  Command  therefore 
that  the  sei)ul<h('r  hv  made  sure  unto  the  third  day,  lest  His 
discii)les  come  by  night  and  steal  Him  away,  and  say  unto  the 
people.  He  is  risen  from  the  dead:  so  the  last  error  shall  be  worse 
than  the  tirst."     AVhereupon  Pilate  stationed  a  guard  consisting 


EASTER    SUNDAY,  1G5 

of  several  soldiers  at  the  scpulcher  and  had  them  seal  the  stone 
with  the  imperial  Roman  signet.  How  could  the  body  be  stolen 
in  the  face  of  such  precautions?  And  yet  the  body  was  no  lono^er 
there  on  Easter  morn.  The  imperial  signet  was  broken.  The 
stone  was  rolled  away.   The  watch  had  fled.    The  toml)  was  vacant. 

And  it  was  an  angel  from  heaven  that  announced  the  fact  of 
His  resurrection.  We  read,  ^'And  entering  into  the  sepulcher,  they 
saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the  right  side,  clothed  in  a  long  lohite 
garment;  and  they  were  affrighted.  And  he  saith  unto  them.  Be 
not  affrighted:  Ye  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  icas  crucified: 
He  is  risen;  He  is  not  here:  behold  the  place  ivhere  they  laid 
Himy  Can  we,  dare  we  doubt  a  fact  which  God  makes  known 
to  us  by  one  of  His  own  messengers?  Must  not  Christ's  resur- 
rection be  an  indisputable  fact  when  we  hear  God  informing  us 
that  He  is  risen  from  the  dead?  And  how  was  this  resurrection 
accomplished?  Matthew  tells  us,  "And,  behold,  there  was  a  great 
earthquake:  for  the  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven, 
and  came  and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door  and  sat  upon  it. 
His  countenance  was  like  lia;htning  and  his  raiment  white  as  snow: 
and  for  fear  of  him  the  keepers  did  shake  and  became  as  dead 
men."  Not  did  this  anfjel  assist  Christ  in  His  resurrection.  Christ 
had  risen  already  and  had  passed  with  the  body  of  His  glorious 
resurrection  through  the  sealed  stone.  The  angel's  mission  was 
merely  to  reveal  the  fact  of  His  resurrection  and  to  show  by  the 
vacant  sepulcher  that  death  no  longer  holds  the  Prince  of  Life. 

Who  can  dispute  the  fact  of  Christ's  resurrection?  Did  He 
not  walk  upon  this  earth  for  forty  days  after  His  resurrection, 
and  show^  Himself  to  His  disciples  at  different  times  and  in  various 
places,  and  eat  and  drink  with  them,  and  hold  long  conversations 
with  them,  and  instruct  them,  until  He  bade  them  farewell  and 
ascended  into  heaven  before  their  eyes?  A  favorite  theory  with 
the  enemies  of  Christianity  is,  that  the  disciples  Avere  deceived, 
that  the  Christ  of  the  resurrection  was  a  Christ  of  their  own  imagi- 
nation. Is  not  this  theory  as  absurd  as  it  can  be?  Did  not  the 
risen  Lord  have  the  greatest  trouble  to  convince  His  disciples  of 
the  fact  of  His  resurrection?  What  troul)le  did  He  have  with 
Thomas  !  How  slow  of  heart  were  they  all  to  believe  !  Another 
theory  is,  that  the  entire  account  of  Christ's  wonderful  accom- 
plishments,  including  His   resurrection,    is  a  piece  of  fraud,   a 


1G<)  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

made-up  story  playing  upon  the  credulity  of  the  common  people. 
Is  not  this  theory  as  absurd  as  the  rest?  Did  the  disciples  of 
Christ,  and  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  in  general,  ever 
show  the  slightest  signs  of  willful  or  involuntary  deception?  Were 
they  not  the  most  competent  and  truthful  witnesses,  who  knew 
what  tiiey  said  and  meant  what  they  said?  And,  finally,  what 
did  I  he  disciples  get  for  preaching  the  crucified  and  risen  Christ? 
Were  they  not  persecuted  and  put  to  death  for  their  testimony? 
Can  we  conceive  how  a  whole  class  of  men  will  go  into  })()vorty, 
disgrace,  persecution,  death  for  the  sake  of  a  Hagrant,  willful  lie, 
rather  than  to  tell  the  truth  and  thereby  to  avoid  hardships  and 
io-nominv,  and  to  live?  No;  Christ's  resurrection  is  a  fact  which 
has  been  sealed  with  the  heart's  blood  of  the  most  trustworthy 
witnesses,  a  fact  which  is  even  better  established  than  most  of  the 
universally  credited  events  in  the  annals  of  history,  a  fact  which 
everv  man  in  this  world,  using  his  own  common  sense  and  not 
blinded  by  prejudice,  will  and  must  admit,  an  indisputable  fact. 

II. 

A  glorious  meaning  is  connected  with  this  indisputable  fact. 
This  is  the  second  part  of  our  discourse. 

The  angel  said  to  the  women,  ''■But  go  your  way^  tell  His 
disciples  and  Peter  that  He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee:  there 
shall  ye  see  Him,  as  He  said  unto  you.''  "As  He  said  unto 
vou."  The  an^el  refers  to  Christ's  words  and  tells  the  women 
that  now,  after  His  resurrection,  He  would  make  true  all  that  He 
had  said.  And  this  is  the  meaning  which,  above  all,  is  implied  in 
Christ's  resurrection:  Christ's  Word  is  true,  God's  Word  is  true. 
Christ's  resurrection  is  the  crowning  evidence  of  our  Christian 
faith.  Christ's  resurrection  puts  the  stamp  of  genuineness  on 
every  word  that  is  contained  in  the  Bible.  Even  one  of  the  bit- 
terest enemies  of  Christianity  that  ever  lived  and  who  has,  per- 
haps, done  more  harm  than  all  the  rest,  calls  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  "the  center  of  the  center — the  real  heart  of  Christianity," 
and  adds,  "It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  with  it  the  truth  of 
Christianity  stands  or  falls."  With  singular  unanimity  the  ene- 
mies of  the  Christian  religion  have  agreed  that,  if  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  grave  be  granted,  all  else  that  Chris- 
tianity  claims  nnist  l)e  conceded.     How  triumphantly,  then,  can 


EASTER   SUNDAY.  1(m 

we  profess  the  faith  !  We  can  say  to  the  unbeHever,  Christ  is 
risen  from  the  dead;  you  cannot  gainsay  thi.'^  fact ;  you  yourself 
must  and  do  admit  it  by  your  inability  to  di.s[)rove  it.  What, 
then,  do  your  arguments  amount  to  which  you  bring  forth  ao^ainst 
the  Christian  religion  ?  They  amount  to  nothing,  however  cleverly 
they  are  made.  They  are  as  shining  soap  bubbles.  And  do  you 
not  behold  the  living  monument  wiiich  the  risen  Christ  has  erected 
in  the  world,  that  great  monument  which  stands  to  this  dav  and 
will  stand  unto  the  end  of  the  world?  Do  you  not  behold  the 
Christian  Church,  which  is  built  on  the  fact  of  Christ's  resurrec- 
tion and  in  which  He  invisibly  lives  and  reigns? 

The  meaning  of  Christ's  resurrection,  however,  is  not  only 
to  furnish  us  with  an  invincible  proof  for  the  truth  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  but  also  to  make  us  joyful  in  the  faith  and  in  the 
hope  of  eternal  life.  Three  things  that  are  contained  in  the  third 
article  of  the  Creed  have  been  made  sure  by  Christ's  resurrec- 
tion :  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and 
life  everlasting. 

We  must  remember  that  Christ  is  our  Substitute  in  every- 
thing He  did,  that  for  us  He  lived  and  led  a  life  in  strict  obedi- 
ence to  the  divine  Law,  that  for  us  He  died  on  the  cross  and 
suffered  the  punishment  w^hich  we  deserve  for  our  transgressions, 
that  for  us  He  was  laid  in  the  o:rave  and  entered  into  the  dark 
chambers  of  death.  And  as  He  was  our  Substitute  in  life  and 
death  so  was  He  our  Representative  in  His  glorious  resurrection. 
God  raised  His  beloved  Son  from  the  dead  and  thereby  solemnly 
declared  that  His  great  work  for  us  is  api)roved,  that  the  Law  is 
fulfilled  for  all  men,  that  the  penalty  is  paid  for  the  sins  of  the 
world.  O  o;lorious  moanino^  of  Christ's  resurrection !  It  means 
that  our  blessed  Mediator  and  Redeemer  has  not  only  finished 
the  redemption,  but  that  His  great  work  for  us  has  also  been 
accepted  of  the  Father.  It  means  that  the  divine  subscription 
and  seal  has  been  aflixed  to  the  document  which  attests  to  us  the 
remission  of  all  our  guilt.  It  means  that  God's  wrath  and  anger 
upon  our  sins  is  appeased,  that  His  stern  justice  is  satisfied,  that 
He  is  perfectly  reconciled  to  the  whole  fallen  world.  It  means 
that  not  only  a  universal  pardon  has  been  extended  to  all  sin- 
ners from  the  beginning:  to  the  end  of  the  world,  but  that  even  a 
solemn  public  absolution  has  been  pronounced  upon  all  the  chil- 
12 


168  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

dren  of  men,  declaring  them  free  from  guilt  and  exempt  from 
the  damnation  which  for  their  sins  they  deserve.  Does  not  Paul 
distinctly  say  that  Christ  "was  delivered  for  our  offenses  and 
raised  ao'ain  for  our  justification,"  and  "that  God  was  in  Christ, 
reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself,  not  imjiuting  their  trespasses 
unto  them"?  O  the  glorious  meaning  of  Christ's  resurrection! 
Come,  whoever  thou  art,  here  is  the  forgiveness  of  all  th}^  sins. 
God  has  sealed  it  unto  thee  in  Christ's  resurrection.  Take  it, 
receive  it,  accept  it,  believe  it,  and  you  have  it. 

And  as  Christ  rose  from  the  dead,  so  we  await  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  body.  We  must  all  sink  into  our  graves  when  our 
time  has  come.  But  if  with  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  we  de- 
part from  this  life,  death  shall  harm  us  as  little  as  it  has  harmed 
Christ.  He  says,  "I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life:  he  that 
believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live:  and 
whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die."  Death 
shall  be  for  us  nothing  more  than  a  sweet  slumber.  "This  cor- 
ruptible must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  must  put  on 
immortality."  Christ  rose  from  the  dead,  and  we  shall  follow 
Him.  He  became  the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slec}).  O  glorious 
day  when  our  bodies  shall  come  forth  from  the  earth  and  l)c  like 
unto  the  glorious  ))ody  of  the  risen  Christ,  bodies  that  shall  be 
freed  from  all  infirmities,  bodies  that  shall  be  spirit -like,  as 
Christ's  body  was  when  after  His  resurrection  He  passed  through 
the  thickest  walls  and  appeared  and  again  vanishe4  from  sight! 
O  irlorious  dav  when  in  our  flesh  we  shall  see  God  ! 

Finally,  Christ's  resurrection  means  for  us  life  everlasting. 
St;  Paul  says  Romans,  chapter  sixth,  "Now  if  Ave  be  dead  with 
Christ,  we  believe  that  we  shall  also  live  with  Him:  knowing 
that  Christ  being  raised  from  the  dead  dieth  no  more;  death 
hath  no  more  dominion  over  Him."  What  a  glorious  life  into 
which  Christ  entered  by  His  resurrection  I  Not  an  enemy  of  His 
was  permitted  to  behold  and  abuse  Him.  No  sorrow  filled  His 
heart.  Not  a  tear  did  He  shed.  But  He  ascended  into  heaven. 
He  was  received  into  tli(!  beautiful  realms  above  amid  the  liaile- 
lujalis  of  the  heavenly  host,  seated  at  the  I'lght  hand  of  (Jod  the 
Father  Almighty,  and  lives  and  reigns  to  all  eternity.  Thus  shall 
we  also  enter  into  heaven,  into  life  everlasting,  into  joy  and 
bliss  wliicli  no  language  can  tell;    for  the  Psalm  says,  "In  Thy 


EASTER    MONDAY.  I<i9 

presence  is  fullness  of  joy ;  at  Thy  right  hand  there  arc  i)leasures 
for  evermore,"'  and  our  dear  Redeemer  Himself  has  given  us  the 
blessed  promise,  "My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them, 
and  they  follow  me:   and  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life." 

Praise,  then,  and  glory  be  to  our  risen  Lord,  to  our  heavenly 
King,  who  liveth  in  us  and  we  in  Him,  and  who  is  the  same  yes- 
terday, and  to-day,  and  forever.    Amen. 


EASTEE  MONDAY. 

Luke  24,  13—35. 
And,  behold,  two  of  them  went  that  same  day  to  a  villajie  called  Emmaus, 
which  Avas  from  Jerusalem  about  threescore  furlongs.  And  they  talked  together 
of  all  these  things  which  had  happened.  And  it  came  to  pass,  tliat,  while  they 
communed  together  and  reasoned,  .Jesus  himself  drew  near,  and  went  with  tliera. 
But  their  eyes  were  holden  that  tiiey  should  not  know  liim.  And  he  said  unto 
them.  What  manner  of  communications  are  these  that  ye  have  one  to  another, 
as  ye  walk,  and  are  sad?  And  the  one  of  them,  whose  name  was  Cleopas,  an- 
swering, said  unto  him.  Art  thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem,  and  hast  not 
known  the  things  which  are  come  to  pass  there  in  these  days?  And  he  said 
unto  them.  What  things?  And  they  said  unto  him,  Concerning  .Tesus  of  Xaza- 
reth,  which  was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word  before  (4od  and  all  the  jieople : 
and  how  the  chief  priests  and  our  rulers  delivered  him  to  be  condemned  to  death, 
and  have  crucified  him.  But  we  trusted  that  it  had  been  lie  which  should  have 
redeemed  Israel:  and  beside  all  this,  to-day  is  the  third  day  since  these  things 
were  done.  Yea,  and  certain  women  also  of  our  company  made  us  astonished, 
which  were  early  at  the  sepulcher;  and  when  they  found  not  liis  body,  they  came, 
saying,  that  they  had  also  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  which  said  that  he  was  alive. 
And  certain  of  them  which  were  with  us  went  to  the  sepulcher,  and  found  it  even 
so  as  the  women  had  said :  but  him  they  saw  not.  Then  he  said  unto  them, 
O  fools,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken :  ought 
not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into  his  glory?  And  be- 
ginning at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets,  he  expounded  unto  them  in  all  the  scrip- 
tures the  things  concerning  himself.  And  they  drew  nigh  unto  the  village,  whither 
they  went:  and  he  made  as  though  he  would  have  gone  further.  But  they  con- 
strained him,  saying.  Abide  with  us :  for  it  is  toward  evening,  and  the  day  is  far 
spent.  And  he  went  in  to  tarry  with  them.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  sat  at 
meat  with  them,  he  took  bread,  and  blessed  it,  and  brake,  and  gave  to  them. 
And  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they  knew  him;  and  he  vanished  out  of  their 
siglit.  And  they  said  one  to  another.  Did  not  our  heart  burn  within  us,  while 
he  talked  with  us  l)y  the  way,  and  while  he  opened  to  us  the  scriptures?  And 
they  rose  up  the  same  hour,  and  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  found  the  eleven 
gathered  together,  and  them  that  were  with  them,  saying.  The  Lord  is  risen  in- 
deed, and  hath  appeared  to  Simon.  And  they  told  what  things  were  done  in  the 
way,  and  how  he  was  known  of  them  in  breaking  of  bread. 


170  EASTEIl    MONDAY. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ  : 

The  event  of  our  Gospel  occurred  on  the  day  of  Christ's 
resurrection.  As  we  are  told  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  Luke,  Christ, 
besides  the  smaller  circle  of  twelve  disciples,  had  another,  a  larger 
circle  of  seventy  disciples.  The  two  disciples  that  walked  from 
Jerusalem  to  Eniniaus  in  the  afternoon  of  the  resurrection  day, 
most  likely,  belonged  to  this  larger  circle  of  Christ's  disciples.  The 
name  of  the  one  was  Cleopas.  The  other  some  take  for  St.  Luke 
himself,  who  modestly  withholds  his  name,  while  others  take  him 
for  James,  because  8t.  Paul  says  in  the  Hrst  epistle  to  the  Corin- 
thians that  Jesus  after  His  resurrection  ai)peared  unto  James  also. 

Now  these  two  discijjles,  as  it  seems,  did  not  feel  safe  in  the 
city.  They  were  in  a  state  of  bewilderment.  A  rumor  had  been 
circulated  that  Christ  was  risen.  This  fills  them  with  fright.  They 
haste  away  from  the  miserable  place  where  their  dear  Lord  and 
Master  was  apprehended,  condemned,  crucified,  and  taken  down 
from  the  cross  a  corpse ;  away  from  the  dangerous  spot  where 
they  themselves  were  in  jeopardy  of  life  and  had  to  hide  for  fear 
of  the  Jews.  Who  could  vouch  for  them  that  the  chief  priests 
and  the  elders  t)f  the  people  would  not  keep  on  in  the  course 
which  they  had  begun  ?  that  they  would  not  send  out  their  serv- 
ants to  search  for  the  disciples  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  and  have 
them  share  the  fate  of  their  Master?  So  these  two  flee  from  the 
city.  "With  the  city  behind  them  they  feel  more  at  ease,  and  the 
topic  of  their  conversation,  as  they  walk  along,  is  the  tragic  end 
of  Ilim  whom  they  loved  and  of  whom  they  had  expected  that  He 
Avould  redeem  Israel. 

And  lo  !  while  they  walk  along  in  sad  conversation  a  stranger 
overtakes  them.  They  probably  took  him  for  one  of  those  pil- 
grims who  came  from  distant  parts  to  attend  the  feast  of  the 
Passover,  and  who  was  now  on  the  way  home.  It  was  Jesus,  the 
risen  Lord,  and  Ihcir  eyes  were  holden  that  they  should  not  know 
Him.  So  we  Hud  the  risen  Lord  with  the  two  disci[)les  of  Eni- 
maus,  walking  with  them  and  then  abiding  with  them  at  Emmaus. 

The  su})ject  of  our  discourse  shall  therefore  be  with  the  aid 
of  (iod's  Holy  Spirit, 

THK  RISEN  LORD  WITH  THE  DISCIPLES  OF  EMMAUS, 
I,    ^Lv  tlii'lr  cfiiiipain'oii,  and 
11 .    A  In  IIk  i r  i/iii  si . 


EASTER    .MONDAY.  171 

I. 

''What  manner  of  coiiDuumcaiions  are  fJtese  that  i/e  have  one 
to  another^  as  ye  ivalk,  and  are  sad /''  By  this  (luc^stion  the  risen 
Lord  interrupts  the  two  disciples  in  their  conversation.  He  can- 
not see  them  sad  and  depressed.  He  iiKiuires  about  their  trouble. 
Now  had  they  recognized  Him  immediately,  how  great  would 
have  been  their  amazement  and  their  joy.  "But  their  eyes  were 
holden  that  they  should  not  knoio  Him.''  So  one  of  them,  Cleopas, 
makes  reply  and  expresses  his  surprise  at  this  question,  saying, 
"■Art  Thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem  and  hast  not  Txiiown  the 
things  loJdch  are  come  to  pass  there  in  these  days?"  What  he 
would  sa}^  is  this,  Though  a  stranger,  you  ought  to  know  what  has 
Ijeen  the  talk  of  the  town  for  the  last  days,  and  you  ought  to  know 
something  at  least  about  that  which  is  disturbing  our  minds.  But 
Jesus,  as  if  totally  ignorant  of  those  things,  asks  again  and  thus 
leads  them  to  express  the  doubts  and  troubles  of  which  He  would 
make  them  free.  ''He  said  unto  thetn.  What  things?  And  they 
said  unto  Him^  Concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth ,  which  icas  a  prophet 
mighty  in  deed  and  word  before  God  and  all  tlie  people :  and  how 
the  chief  priests  and  our  rulers  delivei'ed  Him  to  he  condemned  to 
death,  and  have  crucified  Him.  But  we  trusted  that  it  had  been 
He  which  should  have  redeemed  Israel :  and  beside  all  this,  to-day 
is  the  third  day  since  these  things  were  done.  Yea,  and  certain 
women  also  of  our  company  made  us  astonished,  which  were  early 
at  the  sepulcher;  and  lohen  they  found  not  His  body,  they  came, 
saying,  that  they  had  also  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  lohich  said  that 
He  was  alive.  And  certain  of  them  which  were  with  us  went  to 
the  sepulcher,  and  found  it  even  so  as  the  loonien  had  said:  but 
Him  they  saw  not.''  What  ignorance  concerning  Christ's  person 
and  office,  what  doubts  and  uncertainties,  do  their  words  betray  ! 
They  admit  that  Jesus  was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word 
before  God  and  all  the  people;  but  what  do  they  think  of  Him 
now?  He  is  nothing  more  to  them  now  than  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
condemned  to  death  and  crucified  by  the  chief  priests  and  rulers. 
Why  do  they  not  dare  now  to  call  Him  the  Son  of  the  living  God  ? 
Oh,  they  are  very  much  in  doul)t  about  that  now.  They  say,  "  We 
trusted  that  it  had  been  He  which  should  have  redeemed  Israel." 
They  speak  as  if  all  their  hopes  and  expectations  were  blasted. 
For  what  could  they  expect  of  a  dead  Messiah?     Could  a  dead 


172  EASTER    MONDAY. 

Messiah  redeem  Israel,  restore  the  glorious  kingdom  of  God's 
chosen  people,  and  reestablish  the  throne  of  David  and  Soh)mon? 
As  lon^J"  as  He  was  alive  they  tirmly  believed  in  His  future  glo- 
rious kingdom,  and  thougli  Christ  informed  them  time  and  again 
that  His  kiniT'lom  was  of  a  different  nature  than  they  supposed, 
that  it  was  a  kingdom  in  the  hearts  of  men,  still  they  held  fast 
to  their  own  fancies  and  pictured  Jesus  to  their  minds  as  a  great 
worldly  ruler  to  be  honcu'ed  by  all  the  nations  upon  the  earth. 
But  now  that  He  was  dead,  Avhat  could  they  hope  for?  It  seems 
to  them  that  all  was  a  dream.  Still  there  is  something  mysterious 
in  this  matter,  something  they  cannot  account  for,  something 
encouraging  them  not  fully  to  abandon  their  hopes.  This  is  the 
third  day,  and  had  not  -lesus  told  them  that  on  the  third  day  He 
would  rise  again  from  the  dead?  And  did  not  the  women  who 
had  been  at  the  sepulcher  early  in  the  morning  claim  they  had 
seen  a  vision  of  angels,  saying.  He  is  alive?  Had  not  some  of 
their  own  number  gone  to  the  sepulcher  and  found  it  empty? 
This  is  what  })uzzles  them  and  makes  them  feel  uneasy. 

Christ,  their  companion,  hears  what  they  have  to  say  and 
then  replies,  '•'■O  fools,  and  slow  of  Jieart  to  believe  all  that  the 
jprophets  have  spoken:  oiujht  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these 
things,  and  to  enter  into  His  glory?  And  hef/i)uiinf/  at  Moses  and 
all  the  projihets,  He  expounded  unto  them  in  aJl  the  Scriptures  the 
things  concerning  Himself'  What  a  powerful  sermon  that  nmst 
have  been  !  Christ  removes  all  their  doubts  and  sets  aright  all 
their  prejudices.  He  shows  that  according  to  Moses  and  the 
prophets  the  Messiah  had  to  suffer  precisely  those  things  which 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  had  suffered,  and  that  He  had  to  die  and  rise 
again  from  the  dead.  He  expounds  to  them  all  the  prophecies 
concernin*;  the  sufferinu'  and  death  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  thus 
convinces  th(!m  by  Scripture.  O  how  their  hearts  burn  within 
them  now,  how  they  hang  upon  the  lips  of  their  companion,  how 
convincingly  His  woi*ds  penetrate  their  soul !  They  are  so  charmed 
with  their  comjianion's  conversation  that  they  loathe  to  ])art  when 
they  arrive  at  their  journey's  end. 

And  I  would  have  you  note,  my  hearers,  that  unto  this  day 
the  risen  Lord  is  a  comforting  companion  unto  all  His  disciples 
upon  life's  pathway.  Note  well,  this  is  the  benetit,  this  is  the 
blessing  of  (^hrist's  resurrection  that  He  is  with  us  alway.     He  is 


EASTER    MONDAY.  173 

invisibly,  but  reall}'  present,  present  not  only  according  to  His 
divinity,  but  according  to  His  exalted  humanity  also,  present  in 
the  body  of  His  resurrection,  present  with  us  where  we  go  and 
stand  ;  invisibly  present  both  in  the  days  of  prosperity  and  in  the 
days  of  adversity.  He  speaks  to  us  in  His  holy  Word,  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  we  again  can  address  Him  in  our  prayers.  He  is 
our  companion  on  life's  pilgrimage,  even  as  He  was  the  com- 
panion of  those  two  disciples  on  their  way  to  Emmaus. 

11. 

But  let  us  hear  the  continuation  of  our  narrative.  We  read, 
^'And  they  dreiv  nigh  unto  tJie  viUaf/e,  irhit/ier  theij  ivent:  and 
He  made  as  tliough  He  would  have  gone  fnrtlier.  Bat  they  con- 
strained Him,  saying,  Abide  with  us:  for  it  is  toward  evening, 
and  the  day  is  far  s^jent.  And  He  vjent  in  to  tarry  with  them.'" 
Their  companion  now  became  their  guest.  He  had  won  their 
hearts.  They  felt  as  if  they  could  not  part  with  Him.  So  they 
constrain  Him,  that  is,  they  entreat  and  prevail  upon  Him,  to 
remain  and  pass  the  night  with  them.  And  their  dear  comi)anion 
accepts  their  kind  invitation.  He  enters  the  house  with  them. 
Meanwhile  the  sun  has  gone  down.  Supper  is  served.  And  what 
do  we  hear?  ^^And  it  came  to  pass,  as  He  sat  at  meat  with  them. 
He  took  bread,  and  Messed  it,  and  brake,  and  gave  to  then/.'" 
How  strange  !  He  is  their  guest  and  still  He  assumes  the  duties 
of  the  landlord.  He  takes  the  bread,  pronounces  the  blessing, 
and  distributes  to  the  disciples.  The  defenders  of  the  papac}' 
claim  that  the  risen  Lord  celeV)rated  the  holy  communion  at  this 
instance,  using  merely  the  bread  and  not  the  wine.  They  do  so 
to  support  their  erroneous  practice  of  withholding  the  cup  from 
the  laity.  But,  in  the  first  place,  there  is  not  the  slightest  inti- 
mation in  the  text  that  this  was  to  be  a  celebration  of  the  holy 
communion.  And,  in  the  second  place,  even  if  it  was,  the  fact 
that  Jesus  distributed  the  bread  certainly  does  not  warrant  the 
assertion  that  He  declined  to  give  them  wine  also.  Does  not 
St.  Peter  say  in  the  epistle  of  the, day  that  Jesus  did  both  eat  and 
drink  with  His  disciples  after  His  resurrection?  Christ  simply 
did  here  as  He  was  wont  to  do  when  eating  with  His  disciples. 
He  said  the  prayer,  brake  the  bread,  and  gave  the  pieces  to  His 
disciples. 


174  EASTER    MONDAY. 

And  what  was  the  effect  of  these  proceedings?  "  TJieir  eyes 
loere  opened,  and  ihei/  knew  Ili/n/'  Like  a  flash  of  lightning  it 
dawned  upon  them,  it  is  the  Lord.  They  knew  Him  at  once.  It 
was  their  dear  Lord  and  Master  given  to  them  from  the  grave. 
The  women  had  not  been  mistaken  and  the  angels  had  told  the 
truth.  He  was  risen  from  the  dead.  He  was  again  among  the 
living.  But  how  was  it  that  they  did  not  know  Him  before  this, 
when  they  looked  into  His  face  and  He  spoke  to  them?  Had  He 
changed  His  api)earance  ?  Had  He  put  on  a  different  form  ?  No ; 
He  was  the  same.  His  body  was  the  same.  But  their  eyes  were 
holden  that  they  should  not  know  Him.  Now,  how^ever,  when 
He  raised  up  His  hands  and  gave  them  the  bread,  the  veil  drops 
from  their  eyes.  They  recognize  Him.  But  before  they  can  find 
words  with  which  to  express  their  amazement.  He  vanishes  out 
of  their  sight.  For  now  He  had  accomplished  His  object  with 
them.  He  had  removed  their  doubts  concerning  His  suffering, 
death,  and  resurrection.  He  had,  by  eating  with  them,  shown 
and  proved  that  He  was  alive.  Now^  they  are  surprised  that  they 
did  not  recognize  Him  before,  and  '-'the)/  mij  one  to  another,  Did 
not  our  heart  hum  ivitliin  us,  while  He  talked  with  us  by  the  way, 
and  ivhile  lie  opened  to  us  the  Scriptures?'' 

And  what  further  effect  did  this  manifestation  of  the  risen 
Lord  produce?  Though  they  evidently  had  intended  to  stay  in 
the  village  over  night,  and  had  asked  their  unknown  companion 
to  abide  with  them  and  not  to  proceed  on  His  journey,  because 
night  was  nigh  at  hand,  ^'they  i'ose  up  the  same  hour  and  returned 
to  Jerusalem.'''  They  were  anxious  to  communicate  the  good  news 
to  their  fellow  disciples  and  to  tell  them  how  He  was  their  com- 
panion on  the  way  to  Emmaus  and  their  guest  in  the  village.  And 
when  they  arrived  at  Jerusalem,  '■^  they  found  the  eleven  r/athered 
toe/ether,  and  the?n  that  were  ivith  them,  saying.  The  Lord  is  risen 
indeed,  and  hath  appeared  to  Simon.  And  they  told  ivhat  things 
were  done  in  the  way,  and  how  He  was  known  of  them  in  breaking 
of  bread." 

My  friends,  this  also  is  one  of  the  comforts  and  blessings 
of  Christ's  resurrection  that  He  will  be  our  guest  as  He  was  the 
guest  of  those  disciples  at  Emmaus.  Not  only  does  the  risen 
Lord  accompany  Ilis  faithful  believers  in  the  pathway  of  life, 
He  enters  their  homes  also  and  tarries  with  them  invisiblv,  but 


FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER.  175 

really  and  truly.  He  even  enters  into  their  hearts  by  means  of 
His  Word  and  sacrament  and  makes  them  His  holy  temple.  It  is 
not  in  vain  we  pray  to  Him  at  meat  and  say,  "Come,  Lord  Jesus, 
be  our  Guest  and  let  Thy  gifts  to  us  be  blest."  It  is  not  in  vain 
we  call  upon  Him  and  say,  Abide,  O  dearest  Jesus,  among  us 
with  Thy  grace.     It  is  not  in  vain  we  sing, 

Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  us  abide, 
For  round  us  falls  the  eventide; 
Nor  let  Thy  Word,  the  heavenly  light, 
For  us  be  ever  veiled  in  night. 

Even  when  death  comes,  we  can  depend  on  the  invisible 
presence  of  our  risen  Lord  and  can  grasp  His  divine  hand,  which 
will  lead  us  safely  through  the  dark  valley  of  death  into  the 
heavenly  paradise. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  keep  us  steadfast  in  the  faith,  that  we 
remain  His  true  disciples  ;  and  we  shall  enjoy  the  benefits  of  His 
presence  with  us  unto  the  end  of  our  pilgrimage,  until  in  Jeru- 
salem our  happy  home  shall  be  with  Him  forevermore.     Amen. 


FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 


John  20,  19—31. 
Then  the  same  day  at  evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  the 
doors  were  shut  where  the  disciples  were  assembled  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came 
Jesus  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto  you.  And 
when  he  had  so  said,  he  shewed  unto  them  his  hands  and  his  side.  Then  were 
the  disciples  glad,  when  they  saw  the  Lord.  Then  said  Jesus  to  them  again. 
Peace  be  unto  you :  as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.  And  when 
he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  and  saith  unto  them.  Receive  ye  the  Holy 
Ghost:  whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them;  and  wliose- 
soever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained.  But  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  called 
Didymus,  was  not  with  them  when  Jesus  came.  The  otlier  disciples  therefore 
said  unto  him,  We  have  seen  the  Lord.  But  he  said  unto  them.  Except  I  sliall 
see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the  print  of  the 
nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  his  side,  I  will  not  believe.  And  after  eight  days 
again  his  disciples  were  within,  and  Thomas  with  them :  then  came  Jesus,  the 
doors  being  shut,  and  stood  in  tlie  midst,  and  said.  Peace  be  unto  you.  Then 
saith  he  to  Thomas,  Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands;  and  reach 
hither  thy  hand,  and  thrust  it  into  my  side:  and  l)e  not  faitiiless,  but  i)elieving. 
And  Thomas  answered  and  said  unto  him.  My  Lord  and  my  God.  Jesus  saith 
unto  liim,  Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou  hast  believed :  blessed  are 


176  FIKST    SLXDAY    AFTER    EASTEK. 

they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed.  And  many  other  sic^ns  truly  did 
Jesus  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples,  which  are  not  written  in  this  book:  but 
these  are  written,  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God; 
and  that  Ijelieviug  ye  might  have  life  through  his  name. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

Two  manifestations  of  the  risen  Lord  are  recorded  in  our 
Gospel.  Tlie  tirst  manifestation  took  place  on  the  day  of  Christ's 
resurrection  and  the  second,  eight  days  after. 

Who  could  describe  the  feelings  of  jo}'  felt  by  the  whole 
assembly  of  Christ's  disciples,  when  their  Lord  and  Master  sud- 
denly appeared  in  their  midst,  while  they  were  gathered  together 
behind  closed  and  bolted  doors  in  the  evening  of  the  day  of  His 
resurrection?  Did  they  expect  Him  this  night  and  did  they  meet 
for  this  })urpose?  Hardly.  But  they  knew  that  He  was  risen 
from  the  dead.  The  women  who  had  been  at  the  sepulcher  early 
in  the  morning  to  anoint  His  body  had  found  the  sepulcher 
emj)ty  and  had  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  saying  that  He  was  alive. 
Mary  Magdalene  had  seen  Him  and  spoken  to  Him.  Simon  Peter 
had  seen  Him.  The  two  disciples  of  Emmaus  had  just  arrived 
and  reported  how  the  risen  Lord  had  Avalkcd  with  them  to  Em- 
maus and  how  He  was  known  of  them  in  breaking  of  bread. 
At  (livcis  places  the  Lord  had  appeared  on  this  day,  but  most 
of  His  disci})les  had  not  seen  Him  as  yet.  O  how  great  must 
have  been  their  joy  when  suddenly,  in  the  stillness  of  their 
assembly,  they  heard  His  familiar  voice,  saying,  '''■Peace  he 
unto  i/oit!"  and  when  they  looked  up  and  saw  Him  standing  in 
their  midst ! 

This  was  His  first  manifestation  in  their  assembly  after  His 
resurrection.  And  it  was  characterized  by  something  peculiar. 
We  are  told,  "T//r><  saidJe.ms  to  them  again,  Peace  he  unto  you  : 
as  mij  F<( flier  /lath  sent  me,  even  .so  send  I  you.  And  iclien  He 
had  said  this.  He  hreathed  on  them  and  saith  unto  them.  Receive 
ye  the  Holy  Ghost:  whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted 
unto  them;  and  lohosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained.''^ 
In  the  most  unambiguous  terms  Christ  gives  unto  His  disciples, 
that  is,  unto  I  lis  Church  upon  earth,  the  power  to  forgive  sins. 
This  is  the  scat  of  the  doctrine  of  absolution.  And  though  this 
doctrine,  accoi'ding  to  which  sins  arc  to  be  ft)rgivcn  l)y  nioital 
ni.'in  ill  the  name  of  Clirist,  is  looked  upon  by  some  as  one  of  the 


FIUST    SUXDAV    AFTKli    EASTEU.  177 

remnants  of  the  papacy  in  our  church,  still  it  is  an  undeniable 
doctrine  of  Clirist  and  affords  great  consohition. 

But  we  shall  not  enter  in  detail  upon  this  comforting  doctrine 
to-day.  There  is  another  Sunday  in  the  ecclesiastical  year  to  be 
devoted  to  the  contemplation  of  this  doctrine.  We  shall  apply 
our  attention  to  the  second  part  of  our  Gospel  which  treats  of  the 
unbelieving  disciple  Thomas  in  particular,  and  tells  how  the  risen 
Lord,  in  His  second  manifestation,  on  this  very  day,  the 'Sunday 
after  Easter,  healed  this  straying  sheep  of  His  flock  of  his  unbelief. 
Accordingly,  let  us  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THOMAS'  UNBELIEF  CONCERNING  CHRIST'S  RESURRECTION, 

and  see 

I.  Hoiv  outspoken  and,  at  the  same  time,  hoiv  unreasonable 

ivas  his  unbelief,  and 
II.  Hoio  the  Lord  rebukes  him  and,  at  the  same  time,  con- 
vinces him  of  His  resurrection. 

I. 

We  read,  '■'■But  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  called  Didymus, 
was  not  with  them  when  Jesus  came.  The  other  disciples  therefore 
said  unto  him.  We  have  seen  the  Lord.''  When  Christ  appeared 
unto  His  disciples  the  first  time,  on  the  day  of  His  resurrection, 
all  w^ere  present  excepting  Thomas.  We  are  not  told  what  was 
the  reason  of  his  absence.  But  his  conduct  may  give  us  a  clue. 
His  conduct  shows  that  he  must  have  been  on  the  point  of  sever- 
ing his  connection  with  his  fellow  disciples.  Doubts  had  arisen 
in  his  mind  concerning  Christ,  who  had  died  on  the  cross.  And 
while  the  other  disciples  entertained  the  same  doubts,  his  case  was 
more  severe.  He  had  evidently  made  up  his  mind  that  their  cause 
was  hopelessly  lost,  since  their  Master  was  dead.  Why,  then, 
should  he  go  to  their  assembly  ?  Perhaps  he  thought  within  him- 
self, What  foolishness  to  meet  in  a  body  and  run  the  risk  of  being 
arrested  by  the  ofiicials  !  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  this 
thing  and  will  not  identify  myself  with  these  disciples  any  longer. 
Still,  Thomas  was  not  so  far  gone  as  to  betray  his  fellow  disciples, 
not  so  far  gone  as  to  tread  in  the  footsteps  of  Judas,  to  go  to  the 
chief  priests  and  elders  and  to  tell  them,  I  also  was  a  disciple  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  but  now  I  renounce  Him  ;  and  I  am  at  your 


178  FIKST    SUNDAY    AFTER    KASTEK. 

service,  if  you  can  make  any  use  of  me.  No  ;  he  is  still  on  good 
terms  with  the  other  discii)les.  They  meet  him  and  say,  "  We 
have  seen  the  Lord/'  They  say  to  him,  Thomas,  the  Lprd  is 
really  risen  from  the  dead.  The  rumors  about  His  resurrection 
have  proven  true.  He  appeared  in  our  midst.  We  have  seen 
Him  wath  our  own  eyes,  and  with  our  own  ears  we  heard  His  sweet 
voice.  In  short,  they  related  to  him  in  detail  all  that  came  to  pass 
in  Christ's  first  manifestation  after  His  resurrection.  And  what 
does  Thomas  say?  Does  he  believe?  Is  his  heart  filled  with  joy 
at  the  Lord's  resurrection?  No;  stubbornly  he  adheres  to  his 
doubts  and  says,  '■^Except  I  shall  see  in  His  hands  the  print  of 
the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  His  side,  1 2vill  not  believe.'' 
He  would  say,  "Do  you  think  that  I  am  so  credulous  as  to  deem 
it  possible  for  a  man  who  is  dead  to  be  moving  among  the  living? 
Did  I  not  see  from  a  distance  how  His  hands  and  feet  were  pierced 
with  nails  and  how,  after  His  death  on  the  cross,  one  of  the  sol- 
diers ran  his  spear  into  His  side,  producing  a  wound  which  neces- 
sarily would  have  killed  Him,  had  He  not  already  been  dead,  an 
ugly,  gaping  wound,  large  enough  to  lay  a  hand  into  it?  Let  me 
tell  you,  then,  I  shall  not  believe  that  He  is  alive  until  I  shall 
place  my  finger  in  the  print  of  the  nails  and  thrust  my  hand  in  His 
open  side."  So  outspoken  was  Thomas'  unbelief,  he  would  not 
believe  the  report  of  his  fellow  disciples,  say  what  they  would. 

And  how  unreasonable  was  his  unbelief.  His  fellow  dis- 
ciples were  trustworthy  men  and  not  given  to  falsehood.  This 
he  knew.  There  was  no  reason  whatever  to  doubt  their  words. 
It  was  wrong  to  discredit  their  statements.  It  was  unreasonable 
to  be  suspicious  in  the  face  of  their  integrity  and  their  em})hatic 
assurances. 

But  this  unbelieving  Thomas  has  had  his  followers  at  all 
times.  O  how  many  that  had  been  Jesus'  true  disciples  for  a 
time  at  length  became  offended  in  Christ  because  of  His  deep 
humiliation,  shunned  the  assembly  of  their  fellow  Christians,  and 
drifted  away  upon  the  waves  and  billows  of  their  own  unreason- 
able doubts  and  unbelief!  "  TFe  have  seen  the  Lord,''  these 
words  of  Christ's  disciples  are  addressed  to  all  of  us.  The  Lord's 
chosen  apostles  bear  witness  unto  all  those  things  that  the  Savior 
(lid  and  said.  .lesus  did  not  Himself  write  and  publish  a  Itook 
containing  His  doctrine,      liiit  the  (Jospel  which  II(!  did  preach 


FIRST    SINDAY    ATTKU    KASTEU.  179 

tiud  tlie  work  which  He  did  pei-fonii  has  been  handed  down  to  us 
by  His  chosen  disciples,  by  His  order  and  command;  and  it  is 
written  for  all  generations  unto  the  end  of  the  world  in  that  divine 
book,  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  apostles  were  with  the  Lord 
Jesus  from  the  beginning  of  His  ministry.  They  were  eyewit- 
nesses of  what  He  did.  They  accompanied  Him  Avhither  He  went. 
They  heard  His  sayings.  They  witnessed  His  miracles.  "We 
have  seen  the  Lord,"  believe  in  Him,  all  generations,  this  is  what 
His  disciples  proclaim  in  the  New  Testament. 

And  what  say  the  unbelieving  Thomases  ?  To  this  day  they 
reply.  Had  our  own  eyes  seen  the  miracles  that  are  ascribed  to 
Jesus  in  the  New  Testament,  the  healings  of  the  sick,  and  the 
halt,  and  the  maimed,  and  the  blind,  the  stilling  of  the  tempest, 
the  feeding  of  thousands  with  a  few  loaves  of  bread,  the  calling 
forth  of  the  dead,  and  all  those  wonderful  deeds  which,  it  is 
alleged,  Christ  performed;  had  we  ourselves  witnessed  all  those 
wonderful  things  presumably  connected  with  His  life,  suffering, 
death,  and  resurrection,  then  should  we  not  hesitate  a  moment, 
but  believe  in  Him  forthwith.  But  these  things  we  did  not  see. 
They  are  incredible.  They  are  inconsistent  with  the  common 
order  of  things  in  this  world.     And  therefore  we  do  not  believe. 

Have  these  unbelievers  who  discredit  the  statements  of  the 
Bible  any  sound  reason,  any  just  cause  to  justify  their  unbelief? 
No  :  their  unbelief  is  just  as  unreasonable  as  was  that  of  Thomas, 
unto  whom  the  disciples  said,  "We  have  seen  the  Lord."  The 
writers  of  the  New  Testament  were  men  who  were  both  able  and 
willing  to  give  a  truthful  statement,  to  present  things  exactly  as 
they  were.  They  were  able  to  do  this  because  they  themselves 
had  seen  those  things  and  had  heard  what  Christ  said.  And  they 
w^ere  willing  to  tell  the  truth,  since  they  were  honest  and  upright 
men  who  would  rather  die  than  deviate  from  the  truth.  Had  the 
disciples  been  men  of  dubious  character,  or  had  they  gained  some 
temporal  advantage  by  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  then  perhaps 
might  we  suspect  that  they  were  impostors  and  had  made  up  this 
story  to  gratify  their  own  ambition,  or  to  fill  their  pockets.  But 
what  earthly  l)enetit  did  the  ai)ostles  reap  from  the  i)reaching  of 
the  Gospel?  Did  they  gain  an}'  earthly  advantage  thereby?  Did 
they  gain  fame,  honor  Ix^fore  men,  riches,  worldly  possessions? 
No;   they  were  hated,  ridiculed,  persecuted,  banished,  tortured. 


180  FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTEH    EA.STER. 

and  put  to  death  for  their  testimony.  Who  ever  heard  that  a  man 
with  a  rational  mind  would  make  up  a  lie  and  maintain  that  lie, 
that  he  might  suffer  and  be  put  to  death,  while  he  could  save  his 
life  if  he  told  the  truth?  The  apostles  sealed  with  their  own 
heart's  blood  the  truthfulness  of  their  report. 

11. 

And  now,  having  heard  how  outspoken  and,  at  the  same 
time,  how  unreasonable  was  Thomas'  unbelief,  let  us  consider 
how  the  Lord  rebuked  and,  at  the  same  time,  convinced  him  of 
His  resurrection. 

We  read,  '^Aiid  after  eight  days  again  His  disciples  were 
ivithin,  and  Thomas  with  them:  then  came  Jesus,  the  doors  be- 
ing shuty  and  stood  in  the  midst  and  said.  Peace  he  unto  you^ 
"Peace  be  unto  you."  This  expression  is  to  this  day  the  com- 
mon form  of  greeting  among  the  nations  in  the  East.  But  in  the 
mouth  of  Jesus  it  signifies  more.  He  is  the  Prince  of  peace,  and 
where  He  is  faithfully  received,  there  strife  and  discord  must  de- 
part and  peace  prevail.  O  let  us  remember  this,  my  hearers; 
where  there  is  not  peace,  where  there  is  strife  and  discord  among 
relatives,  those  of  the  same  kin  hating  one  another,  husband  and 
wife  chiding  another,  children  and  parents  opposing  another,  there 
Jesus  cannot  remain,  and  a  peaceless  heart  cannot  retain  the  true 
faith  in  the  risen  Lord,  who  is  the  Prince  of  peace. 

But  what  do  we  hear  of  Christ  after  He  has  greeted  His  dis- 
ciples? "  Then  saith  He  to  Thomas,  Reach  hither  thy  Jinger  and 
behold  my  hands;  and  reach  hither  thy  hand  and  thrust  it  into 
my  side:  and  be  not  faithless,  hut  believing.''  How  wonderful! 
The  Lord  knows  everything  and  all  that  came  to  pass  within  the 
last  eight  days  between  Thomas  and  the  rest  of  the  disciples.  We 
are  not  told  that  He  appeared  unto  any  of  them.  But  He  knows 
every  word  that  Thomas  spoke.  He  knows  his  ver}^  thoughts. 
He  knows  all  about  his  doubts  and  faithlessness.  Straightway 
He  ai)pr()aches  Thomas  and  connnands  him  to  satisfy  his  curi- 
osity, to  behold  the;  pierced  hands  and  to  make  sure  of  it  that 
they  were  pierced  with  nails  by  i)assing  his  finger  over  the  print, 
and  to  thrust  his  hand  into  His  side.  All  of  this  was  intended 
for  a  rebuke  of  Thomas'  skepticism.  The  Lord  did  not  ap- 
prove of  his  stubbornness  in  not  accepting  the  testimony  of  his 


FIRST    .SUNDAY    AFTER    FASTER.  181 

fellow  disciples.  He,  therefore,  adds,  ''And  be  not  faithless, 
bat  believing.''' 

Unto  this  day  the  Lord  rebukes  those  who  are  straying  away 
into  the  barren  fields  of  doubt  and  infidelity,  those  who  are  on 
the  point  of  leaving  His  flock,  because  they  are  offended  in  this 
or  in  that,  and  things  do  not  suit  them.  "Be  not  faithless,  but 
believing."  These  words  are  intended  for  all  the  unbelieving 
Thomases  in  the  world.  Your  faithlessness  is  not  only  unreason- 
able, so  that  you  cannot  satisfy  your  own  mind  with  those  poor 
arguments  produced  to  overthrow  the  Gospel  truth;  it  is  sinful 
also.  By  your  unbelief  you  abuse  God's  chosen  messengers  whom 
He  has  sent  forth  to  proclaim  His  divine  truth,  and  you  stamp 
them  as  liars  and  impostors.  By  your  unbelief  you  even  make 
God  a  liar  and  place  yourself  above  your  divine  Maker,  contra- 
dicting His  testimonies  and  refusing  to  acknowledge  His  supreme 
authority. 

But  what  did  Thomas  do  after  the  Lord  had  rebuked  him  for 
his  unbelief?  ''Thomas  answered  and  said  unto  Him,  Mij  Lord 
and  my  God.''  So  taken  with  surprise  was  Thomas,  he  did  not 
attempt  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  and  to  stretch  forth  his  finger  and 
his  hand.  Christ  had  convinced  him  of  His  resurrection,  so  per- 
fectly convinced  him  that  both  with  amazement  and  with  exultant 
joy  he  exclaims,  "My  Lord  and  my  God  !"  He  is  completely 
cured  of  his  doubts  and  unbelief.  Happy  for  him  that  he  did  not 
miss  this  assembly !  Happy  for  him  that  he  came  once  more  and 
joined  the  gathering  of  those  with  whom  he  previously  had  been 
associating !  O  how  miserable  must  he  have  felt  all  along;  in  the 
state  of  unbelief,  how  despondent  and  comfortless  !  And  his  fel- 
low disciples  were  so  confident,  so  joyful  and  happy.  But  now 
his  soul  is  filled  with  delight;  and  Jesus  says  to  him,  "Thomas, 
because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou  hast  believed:  blessed  are  they  that 
have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed.'''' 

Even  now  the  risen  Lord  can  and  will  convince  the  faithless 
who  are  found  in  the  gatherings  of  His  faithful  disciples.  It  is 
true,  no  more  does  He  appear  visibly  since  the  day  of  His  as- 
cension into  heaven.  No  more  does  He  visibly  approach  these 
unbelieving  Thomases  and  show  them  His  wounds.  But  He  ap- 
proaches them  invisibly  in  His  Word.  And  by  His  life-giving 
Word  He  changes  their  hearts  and  minds  and  fills  them   with 


1«2  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTEU    EASTEK. 

faith,  with  true,  j)er.severing,  and  unwavering  faith.  "Whosoever 
will  hear  the  Word  of  God  and  not  willfully  resist  witliin  himself, 
while  he  feels  the  convincing  power  of  that  Word,  will  soon  find 
all  his  doubts  and  uncertainties  removed;  and  the  day  will  dawn 
and  the  day  star  will  arise  in  his  heart.  He  will  believe,  though 
he  did  not  see,  and  will  be  blessed. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  help  us  all  sincerely  and  constantly  to 
believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God;  and  that  be- 
lieving we  may  have  life  through  His  name.     Amen. 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 


John  10,  11— IC. 
I  am  tlie  good  shepherd:  the  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep. 
But  he  tliat  is  an  liireling,  and  not  tlie  shepherd,  wliose  own  the  sheep  are  not, 
*  seeth  the  wolf  coming,  and  leaveth  the  sheep,  and  fleeth:  and  the  wolf  catcheth 
them,  and  scattereth  the  sheep.  The  hireling  fleeth,  because  he  is  an  hireling, 
and  caretli  not  for  the  sheep.  I  am  the  good  shepherd,  and  know  my  sheep, 
and  am  known  of  mine.  As  the  Father  knoweth  me,  even  so  know  I  the  Father: 
and  I  lay  down  my  life  for  tlie  sheep.  And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not 
of  tills  fold:  them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice;  and  there 
shall  be  one  fold,  and  one  shepherd. 

Beloved  Fhiexds  in  Christ  : 

'■'I  am  the  Good  Shepherd,"  says  Jesus.  He  claims  that  He 
is  the  great  Shepherd  s})oken  of  by  the  prophets.  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  jjreat  central  figure  of  God's  revelation.  "To  Him  give  all 
the  prophets  witness,  that  through  His  name  whosoever  believeth 
in  Him  shall  receive  remission  of  sins."  And  as  Christ  is  the 
great  central  figure  in  the  writings  of  the  prophets,  so  is  He  the 
one  great  topic  of  the  apostles'  speech.  St.  Paul,  therefore, 
says  to  the  Corinthians,  "I  am  determined  not  to  know  anything 
among  you  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified." 

Christ  is  the  great  central  figure  of  Christianity  also.  What 
is  it  that  constitutes  a  Christian?  It  is  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 
Christ  nuist  be  our  one  and  all.  As  the  heart  is  the  center  of 
bodily  life,  so  is  Christ  the  center  of  spiritual  life.  Christ  is  our 
sole  Comfort,  our  Light  in  darkness,  our  Hope  in  distress,  dearest 
to  us  in  heaven  and  upon  earth,  our  Jewel,  our  Treasure,  our 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER.  183 

Wealth,  our  Joy;  our  thoughts  center  in  Christ  Jesus  as  the  one 
great  object  of  our  desires.  A  Christian  is  a  branch  on  the  Vine, 
which  is  Christ,  and  lives  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  him.  To  ])eo-in 
to  be  a  Christian  is  to  find  Christ;  to  be  a  Christian  is  to  abide 
with  Christ;  to  remain  a  Christian  is  to  hold  fast  to  Christ;  to 
die  a  Christian  is  to  fall  asleep  in  Christ. 

If  a  person  desires  to  be  saved  he  must  come  to  Christ  and 
learn  to  place  confidence  in  Christ  alone.  There  is  no  other  way 
to  eternal  salvation.  Christ  is  the  door  that  leads  to  heaven,  and 
the  only  door.  Christ  alone  can  save  our  immortal  souls.  Christ 
alone  can  reconcile  us  lost  and  condemned  sinners  with  the  of- 
fended God  and  secure  for  us  a  dwelling  place  in  the  heavenly 
mansions.  AVhen,  therefore,  Christ  is  portrayed  before  our  eyes 
in  the  holy  Scriptures,  the  aim  and  purpose  is  always  to  draw  us 
to  Christ,  to  invite  us  tenderly  to  trust  in  Christ,  to  urge  us  to 
place  all  our  confidence  in  Christ,  our  beloved  Savior.  This  is 
done  in  our  Gospel  also,  where  Christ  is  portrayed  as  our  Good 
Shepherd  and  His  great  love  toward  us  is  made  manifest.  The 
subject  of  our  discourse  shall  be  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

CHRIST  THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD, 

I.    Giving  His  life  for  the  sheej), 
H.    Lovingly  providing  for  the  sheep, 
IH.    Restoring  those  who  have  strayed  away. 

I. 

Jesus  says,  '■^I am  the  Good  Shepherd:  the  Good  Shepherd 
giveth  His  life  for  the  sheej).  But  he  that  is  an  hireling,  2vhose 
oivn  the  sheep  are  not,  seeth  the  wolf  coming,  and  leaveth  the  sheep, 
and  fieeth,  and  the  ivolf  catcheth  them,  and  scattereth  the  sheep. 
The  hireling  fleeth,  because  he  is  an  hireling,  and  careth  not  for 
the  sheep. ''^  In  this  beautiful  parable  the  Lord  exhibits  Himself 
as  the  Good  Shepherd  as  distinguished  from  a  hireling  who  shows 
no  concern  for  the  sheep  entrusted  to  his  care.  What  can  you 
expect  of  a  careless  hireling?  Can  you  expect  of  him  to  put 
his  life  at  stake  when  the  wolf  rushes  into  the  flock  to  create 
havoc  among  the  sheep?  No;  the  hireling's  first  thought  in  case 
of  danger  is  not  how  to  save  the  sheep,  but  how  to  save  himself 
and  secure  his  own  life.      He  runs,  he  flees  at  the  toj)  of  his 

]3 


1,S4  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTEK    EASTER. 

speed,  while  the  wolf  hiis  things  his  own  way,  tearing  to  pieces 
the  defenseless  sheep  and  lambs  and  scattering  the  flock  in  all 
directions.  I  am  no  such  hireling,  says  Jesus.  As  a  true  shep- 
herd will  fiffht  a  wild  beast  that  attacks  the  flock,  and  deliver  his 
sheep,  and  slay  the  brute,  even  though  in  the  encounter  he  should 
receive  wounds  that  will  cause  death,  so  do  I,  at  the  price  of  my 
own  life,  deliver  my  sheep  and  save  them  from  the  bitter  pains 
of  eternal  death.  I  am  the  Good  Shepherd  that  giveth  His  life 
for  the  sheep. 

Now,  to  understand  the  meaning  of  this  parable  more  accu- 
rately, we  must  remember  that  by  nature  all  men  are  as  lost  sheep. 
Our  first  parents  Avere  sheep  of  the  heavenly  fold  as  long  as  they 
were  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  Alas  !  they  did  not  remain  in  this 
blessed  state.  They  were  seduced  into  sin  and  fell  a  prey  to 
Satan.  Since  the  fall  all  men  are  born  in  sin,  and  not  a  soul  is 
by  nature  born  into  the  sheepfold  of  the  Lord.  By  nature  we  are 
all  deaf  to  the  voice  of  our  Good  Shepherd.  We  do  not  heed  His 
words.  We  do  not  follow  Him.  We  seek  our  pleasures  upon 
the  barren  fields  of  the  world  and  our  nourishment  among  the 
poisonous  weeds  that  are  so  destructive  to  our  eternal  welfare. 
By  sin  the  whole  human  race  has  been  scattered,  as  Isaiah  says, 
"All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray;  we  have  turned  every  one 
to  his  own  way."  And  the  wolf  is  lurking  behind  the  bushes. 
Satan  is  only  waiting  for  man's  temporal  death,  that  he  might 
seize  his  victim  and  get  eternal  possession. 

But  behold!  the  Good  Shepherd  came.  The  eternal  Son 
of  God  appeared  on  the  scene  to  deliver  the  fallen  human  race 
from  the  jaws  of  the  ravening  wolf,  to  gather  them  into  the  king- 
dom of  His  grace,  to  pasture  them,  and  finally  to  lead  them  into 
Paradise.  But  oh,  what  did  our  Good  Shepherd  endure  that  He 
might  deliver  the  lost  sheep  !  He  that  meant  to  be  our  Shepherd 
had  to  fight  the  devil  in  our  stead  and  die  for  us.  This  is  what 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  did  for  us  as  our  Good  Shepherd.  As  the 
Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  He  came 
down  from  the  throne  of  His  divine  glory  and  Himself  assumed 
the  form  of  the  lost  sheep.  He  became  man.  He  abstained  from 
the  full  use  of  His  divine  power.  He  became  the  same  as  we  all, 
with  the  exception  of  sin.  He  undertook  the  combat  with  the 
wolf  that  was  after  the  sheep,  with  the  })rince  of  darkness,  the 


SECOND  KUXDAY  AFTER  EASTEK.  185 

enemy  of  our  etern:il  welfare.  In  this  fierce  t^truggle  our  Good 
Shepherd  not  only  put  His  life  at  .stake,  but  actually  did  give 
His  life.  He  died  for  us  on  the  cross.  O  how  must  Satan  have 
triumphed  when  our  Substitute  was  slain,  when  the  Good  Shep- 
herd was  dying,  as  His  blood  was  ebbing  away !  The  Shepherd 
conquered,  the  whole  flock  seemed  to  be  his.  But  thinn^s  turned 
out  contrary  to  Satan's  expectation.  For  behold,  Christ  rose 
again  from  the  dead.  His  death  now  turned  out  to  be  the  sheep's 
life,  His  blood -shedding  their  deliverance.  His  sacrifice  their 
freedom.  In  giving  for  us  His  precious  life  our  Good  Shepherd 
redeemed  us  all  from  sin,  from  death,  and  from  the  power  of 
the  devil. 

II. 

But  in  the  portrait  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  as  shown  in  our 
Gospel,  the  Lord  is  pictured  also  as  lovingly  providing  for  the 
sheep.  Jesus  says,  "/  am  the  Good  Shepherd,  and  know  my 
sheep,  and  am  known  of  mine.  As  the  Father  hnoweth  me,  even 
so  know  I  the  Father:  and  I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep.'''' 
To  understand  these  words  the  better  we  must  know  that  in  the 
East  the  sheep  of  different  herders  are  usually  taken  to  a  great 
gathering-place,  to  a  large  fold,  for  the  night.  The  shepherd  is 
out  all  day,  watching  his  sheep  and  leading  them  from  pasture  to 
pasture.  But  when  night  comes  he  brings  them  into  the  common 
enclosure,  where  they  mix  up  with  the  sheep  of  other  shej^herds. 
Now  in  the  morning,  when  the  shepherds  come  to  take  their 
sheep  out  for  the  day,  how  does  each  shepherd  know  which  are 
his  sheep?  He  simply  calls  them,  and  they  know  his  voice  and 
follow  him.  The  sheep  will  always  follow  their  own  shepherd 
and  never  hearken  to  the  voice  of  a  stranger. 

Now  Jesus  says,  "/  know  my  sheep, ^''  and  when  He  says, 
*'I  know  my  sheep,"  He  does  not  merely  mean  to  say  that  He 
knows  which  are  the  sheep  that  belong  to  His  flock,  but  that 
He  acknowledges  them  to  be  His  own  and  lovingly  provides  for 
them.  He  pays  attention  to  the  special  condition  of  every  sheep 
in  His  flock.  He  knows  their  needs  and  helps  them.  He  knows 
their  ailments  and  heals  them.  He  knows  their  faults  and  leads 
them  in  the  paths  of  righteousness.  He  knows  their  dangers  and 
protects  them.      He  knows  their  weakness  and   u|)holds  them. 


18G  SECOND    .SUNDAY    AFTER    EA.STEU. 

O  blessed  is  every  one  that  has  committed  himself  to  the  care 
of  Jesus  !  Blessed  is  every  one  that  knows  the  Good  Shepherd, 
knows  Him  by  faith  and  trusts  in  Him  !  As  a  good  shepherd 
provides  for  his  sheep,  so  will  Jesus  lovingly  provide  for  him. 
A  good  shepherd  will  wash  his  sheep  from  uncleanness  ;  and  so 
does  Jesus  wash  off  the  sins  of  His  sheep  in  holy  Baptism. 
"Though  their  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow; 
though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  A  good 
shepherd  will  take  his  sheep  to  the  pastures,  where  they  will  find 
ample  nourishment,  and  to  the  fresh  waters,  where  they  may 
quench  their  thirst;  and  so  does  Jesus  lead  those  who  are  His 
own  into  the  green  pastures  of  His  precious  Gospel  and  to  the 
refreshing  water  of  life.  He  says  to  them,  "Come  unto  me  all 
ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  wall  give  you  rest." 
"If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink."  He  does 
even  more  than  any  shepherd  will  do.  He  gives  us  Himself,  His 
own  body  and  blood,  to  eat  and  to  drink  in  the  Lord's  Supper. 
A  good  shepherd  will  deal  tenderly  with  his  sheep.  He  will  let 
the  dogs  bark  at  them  and  chase  them  from  some  dangerous  place. 
But  the  dogs  are  not  i)ermitted  to  hurt  and  to  harm  them.  And 
so  does  Jesus  deal  with  those  who  are  His  own  with  the  utmost 
caution  and  tenderness.  His  sheep  know^  what  they  may  expect 
of  their  Good  Shepherd  —  nothing  but  love,  grace,  mercy,  kind- 
ness. At  times  He  does  permit  the  Law  to  frighten  them,  so  that 
thoughts  like  these  will  troul)le  them.  Ah,  are  you  not  too  great 
a  sinner?  can  you  expect  to  be  received  into  heaven?  But  He 
thereby  merely  keeps  them  from  carnal  security,  and  soon  again 
they  can  rejoice  in  His  love.  At  times  He  permits  trials  and 
afHictions  to  harass  His  dear  children,  but  they  know,  it  is  for 
their  own  eternal  good,  that  with  the  unbelieving  world  they 
should  not  be  condemned.  Could  any  shepherd  provide  more 
lovingly  for  His  sheep  than  the  Good  Shepherd,  the  Lord  Jesus, 
provides  for  His  flock? 

III. 

But  He  also  restores  those  who  have  strayed  away.     Jesus 

says,  "yl«t/  otlm'  aJieep  I  have,  iv/iich  are  not  of  tJiis  fold:  them 

also  I  must  hn'nr/,  and  tliey  shaU  hear  my  voice;  and  there  shall 

he  om   fold,  mnf  <ni(^  SJiejflicrd .''     The  meaning  of  these  words  is 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  EAi^TEK.  187 

obvious.  The  sheep  of  this  fold  are  the  Jews.  Christ  was  sent 
to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.  Here  we  find  also  who 
were  the  hirelings  spoken  of  in  the  beginning  of  the  i)aral)le. 
The  hirelings  of  whom  Jesus  eomplains  that  they  take  not  the 
proper  care  of  the  sheep,  were  the  si)iritual  rulers  of  Israel,  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes,  who  misled  the  people,  contending  that 
Jesus  is  not  the  Christ.  The  other  sheep  which  arc  not  of  this 
fold  are  the  Gentiles.  The  Gentiles  also  Jesus  promised  to  re- 
store, so  that  there  should  be  no  more  distinction  before  God  be- 
tween Jews  and  Gentiles,  but  all  should  constitute  one  fold,  or, 
rather,  one  great  flock  under  His  shepherding  care. 

Behold  the  great  love  of  our  Good  Shepherd  to  all  men,  to 
the  whole  fallen  human  race.  The  Gentiles  in  the  time  of  the 
Old  Testament  did  wrong  when  they  did  not  come  into  the  fold  of 
Israel  and  did  not  join  God's  chosen  people.  They  had  strayed 
away  from  the  Shepherd's  care  and  Avent  their  own  ways  in  super- 
stition and  idolatry.  But  Christ  declares  that  from  the  Gentiles 
also  He  will  call  His  sheep.  There  are  those  who  are  without 
Christ,  without  His  AYord,  without  His  grace,  roaming  al)out  in 
the  world  without  a  Savior.  They  are  all  His,  inasmuch  as  He 
has  bought  them  at  the  price  of  His  precious  blood;  and  not  a 
human  soul  would  the  eternal  Son  of  God  see  eternally  lost.  He 
loves  even  the  greatest  sinner,  loves  him  because  he  has  an  im- 
mortal soul  which  has  been  redeemed  with  His  blood.  When  a 
good  shepherd  misses  a  sheep,  he  will  search  for  that  lost  sheep 
and  spare  no  pains  to  find  it.  And  when  he  finds  the  poor  sheep 
caught  in  a  thicket  and  in  the  hedges,  or  in  some  ravine,  sore 
and  bleeding,  O  how  great  is  his  joy  to  find  it !  Jesus  does  the 
same.  If  you  are  a  lost  sheep.  He  spares  no  pains  to  restore 
your  soul.  He  calls  you  by  the  sweet  voice  of  the  Gospel.  His 
voice  may  reach  you  and  sound  in  your  ears  and  penetrate  to  the 
very  depth  of  your  soul  when  you  are  ever  so  far  away  from 
Him,  upon  forbidden  paths  and  in  the  ways  of  sin  and  shame. 
And  when,  at  last.  He  does  find  you,  when  you  answer  His  voice 
and  return  from  the  ways  of  sin  and  death  to  your  own  Good 
Shepherd,  He  will  not  chide  with  you.  He  will  not  punish  you. 
With  gladness  He  restores  you  to  the  fold,  and  even  the  angels 
in  heaven  take  their  harps  and  sing  songs  of  praise  when  the  sin- 
ner comes  to  repentance. 


18^  TIIIKU    SUNDAY    AFTER    KASTEK. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  grant  us  all  His  grace,  that  we  abide 
with  Jesus,   our  Good  Shepherd,   and  say   from  the   depth   of 

our  souls. 

Let  me  be  Thine  forever, 
Thou  gracious  God  and  Lord, 
Let  me  forsake  Thee  never, 
Nor  wander  from  Thy  Word. 
Lord,  do  not  let  me  waver. 
But  give  me  steadfastness, 
And  for  such  grace  forever 
Thy  holy  name  I'll  bless. 
Amen. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 


John  16,  16—23. 
A  little  while,  and  ye  shall  not  see  me:  and  again,  a  little  while,  and  ye 
shall  see  me,  because  I  go  to  tlie  Fatlier.  Then  said  some  of  his  disciples 
among  themselves,  What  is  this  that  he  saith  unto  us,  A  little  while,  and  ye 
shall  not  see  me :  and  again,  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall  see  me :  and,  Because 
I  go  to  the  Father?  They  said  therefore,  Wliat  is  this  that  he  saith,  A  little 
while?  we  cannot  tell  what  he  saith.  Now  Jesus  Ivnew  that  they  were  desirous 
to  aslv  him,  and  said  unto  them.  Do  ye  enquire  among  yourselves  of  that  I  said, 
A  little  wliile,  and  )'e  shall  not  see  me:  and  again,  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall 
see  me?  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  That  ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  but  the 
world  shall  rejoice :  and  ye  shall  be  sorrowful,  but  your  sorrow  shall  be  turned 
into  joy.  A  woman  wlien  slie  is  in  travail  liath  sorrow,  because  her  hour  is 
come:  but  as  soon  as  slie  is  delivered  of  the  cliild,  she  remembereth  no  more 
the  anguish,  for  joy  that  a  man  is  Ijorn  into  tlie  world.  And  ye  now  therefore 
have  sorrow:  but  I  will  see  you  again,  and  your  heart  shall  rejoice,  and  your 
joy  no  man  taketli  from  you.     And  in  that  day  ye  shall  ask  me  nothing. 

Beloved  Fuiexds  ix  Christ. 

The  Lord  »Icsus  spoke  these  words  in  the  night  in  which  lie 
was  betrayed.  lie  had  already  told  His  disciples  in  plain  words 
that  He  must  suffer  and  die.  Only  a  few  days  before  He  said  to 
them,  "Behold,  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  all  things  that  are 
written  by  the  prophets  concerning  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  ac- 
complished. For  He  shall  be  delivered  unto  the  Gentiles,  and 
shall  be  mocked,  and  spitefully  entreated,  and  spitted  on:  and 
they  .shall  scourge  Him,  and  put  Him  to  death:  and  the  third 
day  He  shall  rise  again."    And  now  He  seeks  to  impress  on  their 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER.  189 

minds  that  the  time  is  at  hand.  He  says,  "-A  little  while,  and  ye 
shall  not  see  me:  and  again,  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall  see  me, 
because  I  go  to  the  Father.''  But  the  disciples  could  not  compre- 
hend this  matter.  They  understood  His  words.  They  probably 
knew  even  now  that  He  meant  to  refer  to  His  suffcrin<'-,  death, 
and  resurrection.  But  they  did  not  understand  the  things.  Why? 
Because  there  was  a  fixed  notion  in  their  minds  that,  as  the  Mes- 
siah, Jesus  must  do  what  the  children  of  Israel  expected  of  their 
Messiah,  that  He  must  establish  a  glorious  worldly  kingdom  and 
be  the  temporal  ruler  of  God's  people.  The  words,  "^  little 
while,'"'  were  especially  offensive  to  them.  How  was  it  that  Jesus 
would  remain  with  them  only  for  a  little  while  and  then  go  to  the 
Father?  They  expected  Him  to  remain  with  them  a  great  while 
longer.  They  had  escorted  Him  into  the  city  of  Jerusalem  amid 
the  shouts  and  hosannas  of  the  multitude  and  had  come  to  stay, 
to  see  their  beloved  Master  seated  upon  the  throne  of  David  and 
Solomon,  to  share  His  glory,  and  to  be  made  judges  ruling  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  and,  in  general,  to  enter  upon  an  era  of 
happiness  and  prosperity  for  the  whole  nation.  And  was  He  now 
about  to  leave  them  in  a  little  while?  It  could  not  be.  "TAey 
said  therefore.  What  is  this  that  He  saifh,  A  little  while?  we  can- 
not tell  what  He  saith."  But  Christ  does  not  make  an  attempt 
to  explain  to  them  the  expression,  "A  little  while."  He  knows, 
it  would  be  of  no  avail  in  their  present  state.  He  simply  tells 
them  what  will  be  the  effect  of  His  withdrawal  and  reappearance, 
saying  to  them,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  nnto  you.  That  ye  shall  iveep 
and  lament,  but  the  icorld  shall  rejoice:  and  ye  shall  be  sorrovj- 
ful,  but  your  sorroic  shall  be  turned  into  joy^  Sorrow  and  joy 
was  in  store  for  them :  sorrow,  when  their  beloved  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter would  leave  them  and  sink  into  the  grave,  and  joy,  exceeding 
joy,  when  they  should  again  behold  Him  in  the  body  of  His  glo- 
rious resurrection. 

This  was  not  only  said  for  the  disciples  of  Christ  at  that  time. 
Unto  the  end  of  the  world  Christians  must  expect  l)oth  sorrow 
and  joy.     Let  us  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THE  SORROW  AND  THE  JOY  OF  A  CHRISTIAN, 

and  see 

I.    Tlte  Christian' s  sorrow,  and 
II .    Tlie  Ch ristia n ' s  joy . 


190  TIIIHD    SUXDAV    AITEH    EA8TEK. 

I. 

Many  people  hold  that  Christians  should  not  be  burdened 
with  sorrows.  They  enter  the  Christian  ranks  and  profess  the 
Christian  faith,  and  now  they  expect  that  God  should  so  rule  and 
govern  things  that  their  lives  glide  along  like  a  smooth  stream, 
without  any  trouble  or  hindrance.  They  expect  of  Him  that  He 
must  keep  away  from  them  every  calamity.  When  some  smaller 
evil  comes  upon  them,  they  may  reconcile  themselves  to  that  and 
get  over  it,  thinking  that  it  is  something  which,  after  all,  they 
desei-ve  for  their  sins.  But  when  they  are  made  the  victims  of 
some  great  misfortune,  when  some  great  calamity  has  befallen 
them,  causing  immense  sorrow  and  grief,  they  murmur  against 
their  divine  ]Maker.  They  sav,  How  can  a  gracious  and  merciful 
God  send  down  upon  us,  while  we  are  trusting  in  Him,  such  mis- 
fortunes? No;  there  is  no  Father  in  heaven,  no  divine  Ruler  of 
the  universe,  for  if  there  were,  we  Avould  not  be  in  sorrow  and 
mourninjj. 

The  fault  with  such  people  is  that  they  expect  of  God  some- 
thing which  He  never  promised  to  those  who  trust  in  Him.  When 
and  where  did  God  })romise  that  Christians  should  never  be  Inir- 
dened  with  sorrows  in  this  world  ?  He  promises  you  His  divine 
protection.  He  promises  to  care  for  you,  to  provide  for  you,  to 
give  His  holy  angels  charge  over  you,  and  not  to  tempt  you  above 
what  you  are  able  to  bear.  But  nowhere  docs  He  promise  to 
withhold  from  3'ou  all  sorrows.  On  the  contrary,  Jesus  says  to 
His  disciples  in  our  text,  "  Vei'ily,  verilij,  I >«iy  (info  you.  That  ye 
shall  7veep  and  lament,  but  the  ivorld  shaU  rejoice/'  Can  you 
rightly  expect  greater  favors  from  the  Lord  than  His  disciples  ? 
Can  you  say  that  they  deserved  more  punishment  than  you  ?  Does 
not  St.  Paul  say  distinctly,  "All  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ 
Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution"?  Does  he  not  say  of  himself  and 
of  all  Christians,  "Through  much  tribulation  we  must  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God"?  And  look  at  the  example  of  God's  dear 
children  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Look  at  men  like  Job,  and  the 
prophets,  and  the  apostles.  AVhat  afflictions,  what  griefs,  what 
sorrows  fell  to  their  lot !  No  ;  Christians  are  not  exempt  from 
the  common  ills  of  mankind.  They  are  subject  to  the  same  ail- 
ments, and  diseases,  and  misfortunes,  and  calamities  that  the  rest 
of  the  children  of  men  must  bear  in  this  life.     As  a  rule,  they 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  KASTER.  191 

must  even  bear  more  than  the  unbeheving  children  of  this  world. 
They  are  the  cross-bearers.  They  must  endure  the  reproach  of 
the  unbelieving  world.  They  must  suffer  for  the  very  reason 
that  they  are  Christians.  Christ  says  to  them,  "In  the  world  ye 
have  tri])ulation." 

But  these  are  not  the  greatest  sorrows  of  Christians;  for 
they  are  sorrows  concerning  only  temporal  things  and  the  mortal 
body.  The  greatest  sorrow  of  a  Christian  is  when  he  is  troubled 
about  the  welfare  of  his  immortal  soul.  Christians  must  some- 
times meet  with  the  same  experiences  as  did  the  disciples  of 
Christ  during  the  three  days  when  Christ  was  taken  from  them, 
while  He  was  lying  in  the  grave.  O  how  must  the  disciples 
have  felt  then  !  Their  hearts  must  have  been  filled  with  sorrow 
to  overflowing.  They  still  clung  to  Christ;  they  loved  Him; 
but  they  felt  as  if  all  their  hopes  and  fondest  expectations  were 
blasted.  They  had  hoped  that  it  was  He  who  should  redeem 
Israel,  but  what  could  they  hope  for  now?  Death  glared  from 
the  eyes  that  had  looked  upon  them  so  lovingly.  The  lips  were 
silenced  that  had  spoken  to  them  words  of  eternal  life.  The 
tomb  had  received  Him  whom  they  had  followed  and  for  whom 
they  had  left  everything.  They  could  see  Him  no  more,  and  in 
their  minds  He  was  no  longer  the  great  wonder-worker,  but  a 
mangled  corpse.  All  their  comfort  in  life  and  in  death  avus  now 
gone.  Such  profound  sorrow  they  had  never  tasted  before.  And 
to  this  day  the  greatest  sorrow  of  Christians  is  when  they  are 
made  to  feel  as  if  they  had  no  Savior,  when  Jesus  hides  from 
them,  as  it  were.  They  feel  no  joy.  They  cannot  rejoice  iu 
their  salvation.  It  seems  to  them  that  they  are  not  Christians, 
that  they  have  not  faith  and  that  they  have  no  right  to  appro- 
priate to  themselves  the  promises  of  eternal  life.  It  seems  to 
them  that  Jesus  is  dead  for  them,  that  He  can  do  nothing  for 
them,  and  that  they  have  been  trusting  in  Him  in  vain.  They 
take  their  Bible  and  read  it,  and  even  the  divine  "Word  does  not 
impress  their  soul.  They  seek  relief  in  prayer,  and  God  does  not 
seem  to  hear  them.  Their  soul  is  shrouded  in  darkness.  They 
feel  as  if  they  were  fast  sinking  to  hell.  They  must  say  with 
Job,  "I  cry  unto  Thee  and  Thou  dost  not  hear  me,  I  stand  up 
and  Thou  rejjardest  me  not.  Thou  art  become  cruel  to  me:  with 
Thy  strong  hand  Thou  opposest  Thyself  against  me  ;"   and  with 


192  TllIIM)    SLNDAV    AITKI!    KASTEH. 

Duvid,  "I  am  troubled,  I  am  bowed  down  greatly,  I  go  mourn- 
ing all  the  day  long." 

But  the  comforting  promise  given  to  Christians  is,  that  their 
sorrow  shall  not  long  endure.  How  long  did  the  disciples  mourn 
the  loss  of  their  Master?  Only  a  little  while,  only  three  days. 
And  to  this  day  God  will  not  put  heavier  burdens  upon  His  dear 
children  than  they  are  able  to  bear,  and  will  deliver  them  shortly. 
All  their  troubles  and  sorrows  must  come  to  an  end  ;  and  only 
for  a  little  while  must  they  suffer  in  the  furnace  of  tribulation, 
that  their  faith  may  be  tried  and  that  they  may  be  made  strong 
in  the  Lord  and  in  the  power  of  His  might.  Then  is  their  sor- 
row turned  into  joy. 

11. 

This  is  the  second  point  of  our  discourse,  the  joy  of 
Christians. 

Which  is  the  joy  of  Christians?  Some  people  hold  that  to 
be  a  Christian  is  to  be  always  sad  and  gloomy,  to  find  fault  with 
almost  everything  that  is  going  on  in  the  world,  to  find  no  joy 
whatever  in  earthly  things,  but  to  spend  their  lives  in  sadness 
and  sorrow.  But  does  not  God  say  distinctly  to  the  Christians, 
"Kejoice  with  them  that  do  rejoice"?  Yea,  more  than  this,  the 
apostle  says,  "Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway,  and  again  I  say,  Re- 
joice." The  jo}'  of  the  world  is,  at  best,  but  an  imperfect  and 
fleeting  thing. 

Man's  desire  for  happiness  can  never  be  perfectly  satisfied 
])y  the  joys  of  this  life.  He  will  always  find  something  lacking 
to  make  his  joy  complete ;  and  generally  he  will  find  a  few  drops 
of  gall  in  the  cup  of  pleasure.  And  what  do  worldlings  say  who 
have  l)eon  tasting  of  nearly  all  the  pleasures  under  the  sun  ?  They 
tell  us  that  in  the  midst  of  their  pleasures  they  can  find  no  real 
and  lasting  enjoyment.  All  the  joys  of  this  life  pass  away.  He 
that  is  laughing  to-day  may  be  weeping  to-morrow.  Finally, 
death  comes  and  ends  all  pleasures. 

A  Christian,  therefore,  does  not  seek  his  happiness  in  the 
things  of  this  life.  For  the  true  joy  of  a  Christian  is  of  a  higher 
order.  The  Christian's  joy  is  descri))ed  in  the  words  of  Jesus, 
"/  irill  scr  i/(}U  (Kjfiiii,  (iiul  1/1)11  r  Jiairt  s/iaU  rejoice,  and  your  joy 


TIIUU)    SUNDAY    AITKU    KASTKlt.  193 

no  man  taketh  from  you.''     Tho  Christian's  greatest  joy  is  tlie 
possession  and  enjoyment  of  Jesus.     He  can  sa}', 

Jesus,  Thou  art  mine  forever, 
Dearer  far  than  earth  to  nie; 
Neither  Ufe  nor  death  shall  sever 
Those  sweet  ties  which  bind  to  Thee. 

All  the  joys  of  life  are  as  nothing  compared  to  this  joy  in 
Jesus  the  Savior.  He  alone  is  truly  happy  who  is  made  sure 
that  his  sins  are  forgiven,  that  God  is  his  dear  Father,  and  that 
he  is  God's  beloved  child,  and  that  heaven  is  his  home.  And 
of  these  thhigs  is  every  one  made  sure  who  trul}^  believes  in  the 
Savior  Jesus.  Joyfully  can  the  Christian  lift  up  his  head,  even  in 
the  midst  of  afflictions  and  tribulations,  and  say  to  his  heavenly 
Father,  Thou  dost  love  me.  Thou  lovest  me  even  now,  and  I 
know  that  "the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy 
to  be  compared  with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  rae." 
Joyfully  can  the  Christian  face  the  dark  future  l)efore  him.  He 
knows  that  that  future  will  be  bright  in  the  end,  and  that  for 
him  the  day  will  come  of  which  Jesus  says,  ^'And  in  that  day  ye 
shall  ask  mt  nothing,"  an  eternal  day  of  joy  and  glory,  a  day  in 
which  he  shall  find  all  those  mysterious  dealings  of  God  with  him 
in  this  life  explained  to  his  perfect  satisfaction. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  fill  our  hearts  with  this  joy  which  sur- 
passes all  human  thought  and  understanding,  and  may  we  all  say 
to  our  beloved  Savior  Jesus, 

Thou  alone  art  all  my  Treasure, 
,  Who  hast  died  that  I  may  live; 

Thou  conferrest  noblest  pleasure, 
Who  dost  all  my  sins  forgive. 

Amen. 


1114  FOUKTII    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 


John  K>,  5—15. 
But  now  I  go  my  way  to  him  that  sent  me;  and  none  of  you  asketh  me, 
Whither  goest  thou?  But  because  I  have  said  these  things  unto  you,  sorrow 
hath  tilled  your  heart.  Nevertheless  I  tell  you  tiie  truth,  It  is  expedient  for  you 
that  I  go  away:  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you; 
but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto  you.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  re- 
prove the  world  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment:  of  sin,  because 
they  believe  not  on  me ;  of  righteousness,  because  I  go  to  my  Father,  and  ye  see 
me  no  more;  of  judgment,  because  the  prince  of  this  world  is  judged.  I  have 
yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear  tliem  now.  Ilowbeit  when 
he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth :  for  he  shall  not 
spealv  of  himself;  but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak:  and  he  will 
shew  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me:  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine, 
and  shall  shew  it  unto  you.  All  things  that  the  Father  hath  are  mine:  tliere- 
fore  said  I,  that  he  shall  take  of  mine,  and  shall  shew  it  unto  you. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

In  our  Gospel  Jesus  promises  to  His  disciples  His  Holy  Spirit. 
He  had  informed  them  that  He  would  soon  leave  them  and  go  to 
the  Father,  that  is,  that  by  Plis  death,  resurrection,  and  ascen- 
sion He  would  return  to  whence  He  had  come,  to  heaven.  Then 
they  should  see  Him  no  more.  He  would  no  more  be  with  them 
visibly,  to  guide  and  to  teach  them  as  He  had  done  during  the 
three  i)ast  years.  Thougli  the  disciples  did  not  comprehend  the 
full  meaning  of  their  Master's  words,  yet  from  His  remarks  they 
gathered  so  much  that  He  was  about  to  leave  them;  and  this 
made  them  sad.  But  Jesus  tells  them,  ^ ' N'evertheless  I  tell  yoa 
the  truth.  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if  I  go  not 
away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you;  but  if  I  depart,  I 
ivill  send  Ilim  unto  you^  And  then  He  informs  them  what  the 
Comforter,  the  Holy  Spirit,  woidd  do:  that  He  would  guide 
them  into  all  truth,  and  show  them  things  to  come,  and,  above 
all  things,  that  He  woidd  glorify  Jesus,  that  is,  extol  and  exalt 
Jesus  in  their  own  iiearts. 

And  how  gloriously  was  this  promise  fidfilled  !  On  the  day 
of  Pentecost  the  Holy  Ghost  came  down  upon  them  visibly  in 
the  shaj)e  of  tongU(;s  as  of  fire.  And  what  a  wonderful  change 
did  lie  produc(!  in  these  men!  He  guidcnl  them  into  all  truth, 
showed  them  things  to  come,  and  glorified  Jesus.     From  the  mo- 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTKK  EASTER.  195 

ment  they  were  tilled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  they  were  imbued 
with  a  profound  knowledge  of  the  great  deeds  of  God  for  the 
salvation  of  man,  and  were  enabled  to  proclaim  those  great  deeds 
ill  languages  which  they  had  never  learned.  From  the  moment 
they  were  filled  Avith  the  Holy  Ghost  they  were  endowed  with 
dauntless  courage  and  with  power  from  on  high.  Boldly  they 
stood  up  before  Jewish  and  Gentile  mobs,  before  kings  and 
rulers,  and  bore  witness  of  what  they  themselves  had  heard  and 
seen  of  Jesus.  From  the  moment  they  were  filled  ^vith  the  Holy 
Ghost  Jesus  was  glorified  in  their  hearts.  They  saw  His  gloiy 
now.  They  no  longer  expected  Him  to  establish  a  worldly  king- 
dom and  be  a  worldly  ruler.  They  saw  in  Him  the  exalted  Lord 
sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty,  from 
whence  He  shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  and  there 
was  not  another  name  that  sounded  sweeter  in  their  ears  than  the 
name  of  Jesus.  Such  was  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ui)on 
Christ's  disciples.  And  to  this  day  God's  Holy  Spirit  has  His 
divine  work  among  Christians  in  particular.  We  know  that  to 
the  Spirit  of  God  we  owe  our  conversion  and  salvation,  that  it 
is  the  Spirit  who  calls  us  by  the  Gospel,  enlightens  us  with  His 
gifts,  sanctifies  and  keeps  us  in  the  true  faith. 

But  the  Spirit  does  not  only  deal  with  the  followers  of  Christ 
in  particular.  He  "reproves  the  world,"  as  Christ  says  in  our 
Gospel,  that  is,  He  also  addresses  the  children  of  men  in  general. 
And  what  Christ  says  here  about  the  Spirit's  deaUng  with  the 
world  does  not  merely  apply  to  unbelievers,  but  to  Christians 
also,  inasmuch  as  they  are  still  in  the  world  and  retain  their 
sinful  flesh  as  long  as  they  live  upon  the  earth.  Let  us  consider 
with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THE  HOLY  GHOST'S  REPROVAL 

I.    Concerning  sin, 
H.    Concerning  righteousness,  and 
HI .   Concerning  Judgment . 

I. 

Jesus  says,  ''And  when  He  (the  Spirit)  is  come,  He  will  re- 
prove the  loorld  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment. '' 
Here  we  must  inquire  into  the  meaning  of  the  word  "reprove." 


196  FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTEH  EASTER. 

The  word  "reprove,"  as  used  in  this  conneetion,  does  not  mean 
merely  to  censure,  but  to  convict.  In  reproving  the  world  the 
Holy  Ghost  brings  home  to  the  children  of  men  their  errors,  and 
makes  them  see  that  they  are  open  to  the  condemnation  of  their 
conscience. 

And  of  Avhat  does  the  Holy  Ghost  reprove  the  world?  In- 
the  first  place,  of  sin.  I  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that, 
though  the  Holy  Ghost  is  opposed  to  all  sins,  yet  Jesus  does  not 
mention  particular  sins.  He  does  not  publish  a  long  list  of  sins  of 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  should  reprove  the  world.  No;  He  men- 
tions but  one  sin,  one  particular  sin.  He  says,  ''Of  sin,  htrause 
they  beUeve  not  on  me.''  Unbelief — that  is  the  sin  of  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  reproves  the  world. 

Is  there  a  sin  which  is  more  widespread,  more  universal  than 
unbelief?  Like  a  disease,  like  a  pestilence,  this  sin  has  seized 
upon  the  world,  and  there  is  no  abatement.  To  this  day  the 
overwhelming  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  world  is  com- 
l)osed  of  heathen,  Mohammedans,  and  Jews.  And  look  at  our 
own  country.  It  has  been  said  that  this  is  a  Christian  nation. 
And  what  do  our  statistics  say  ?  They  have  disclosed  the  startling 
revelation  that  only  one  third  of  the  number  of  our  inhabitants 
are  members  of  or  attendants  at  Christian  churches.  Think  of 
it,  there  are  always  two  unbelievers  to  one  professed  believer. 
And  if  the  professed  believers  were  sifted  down  and  only  the 
true  believers  in  Christ  Jesus  were  to  remain,  how  would  the 
number  of  believers  dwindle  down  !  How  many  members  are 
there  of  Christian  churches  who  have  never  known  what  faith  is 
in  Christ  Jesus,  or  have  lost  the  faith  !  To  this  day  it  is  true 
what  John  says  of  Jesus,  the  Light  of  the  world,  "He  was  in  the 
world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  Him,  and  the  world  knew 
Him  not."  Unbelief  is  the  great  universal  sin,  and,  therefore, 
the  Holy  ({host  nnist  reprove  the  world  of  sin  that  they  do  not 
believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus. 

And  unbelief  is  a  sin  which  is  not  acknowledged  to  be  sin 
by  the  children  of  this  world.  People  \n\\  readily  admit  that  it 
is  a  sin  to  lie  and  to  steal ;  but  tell  an  unbeliever  that  it  is  a  sin 
not  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  he  will  laugh  you  in 
the  face.  He  will  say.  Are  not  my  thoughts  my  own?  Am  I  re- 
sponsible for  my  convictions?    Can  I  be  blamed  for  not  ))elieving 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER.  197 

as  long  as  I  am  not  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel?  On 
the  contrary,  would  it  not  be  a  moral  wrong  for  me  to  simulate, 
to  pretend  faith  Avithout  conviction  ?  But  before  the  tribunal  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  the  unbeliever's  arguments  in  defense  of  his  in- 
fidelity are  reduced  to  a  folly.  By  the  Word  of  God  the  Holy 
Ghost  can  make  the  unbeliever  tremble  and  perceive  that  unbelief 
is  indeed  the  sin,  the  greatest  sin  in  the  world,  the  sin  which 
makes  all  the  rest  of  sins  remain  unforgiven,  the  sin  which  is 
sure  to  lead  into  eternal  condemnation.  He  will  address  him  and 
say,  How  dare  you  make  light  of  your  unbelief?  It  is  nothin(y 
less  than  rebellion  against  your  divine  Maker.  You  have  thereby 
been  giving  the  lie  to  your  God.  You  have  discredited  His  divine 
Word  and  despised  your  own  salvation.  You  have  sinned  against 
God  and  against  yourself,  rejecting  your  own  eternal  welfare ; 
for  "he  that  belie veth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that 
believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 

O  my  friends,  let  us  all  be  on  our  guard  against  this  terrible 
sin  which  is  sure  to  hurl  the  unbeliever  into  eternal  condemnation. 
Many  a  Christian  believed  for  a  while,  and  in  the  time  of  temp- 
tation he  fell  away.  Many  a  one  has  made  shipwreck  of  faith. 
Let  us  remain  continually  under  the  influence  of  God's  Holy 
Spirit,  hearing  the  Word  of  God  and  searching  the  Scriptures, 
and  we  shall  keep  the  faith.  It  is  to  the  Christians  that  St.  Paul 
says,  "Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall," 
and,  "Examine  yourselves,  whether  ye  be  in  the  faith;  prove 
your  own  selves." 

II. 

The  Holy  Ghost,  secondly,  reproves  the  world  of  righteous- 
ness. ''Oy  righteousness i'^  says  Jesus,  '^because  I  go  to  my 
Father,  and  ye  see  me  no  more.^''  Now  what  righteousness  is 
this?  What  has  righteousness  to  do  with  Christ's  going  to  the 
Father  and  being  seen  no  more  ?  We  must  remember  that  Jesus 
said  this  shortly  before  His  suffering  and  death.  His  going  to 
the  Father  led  over  Calvary.  He  did  not  mean  simply  that  He 
must  die  and  depart  from  this  world,  but  that  He  must  go  to 
the  Father  by  way  of  sacrificing  His  life  for  the  sins  of  the  world, 
that  by  perfect  obedience  unto  death  He  must  work  out  a  spot- 
less ri<2:hteousness  for  all  men.    The  righteousness,  then,  of  which 


Ida  FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  FASTER. 

the  Holy  Ghost  reproves  the  world  is  that  righteousness  which 
Jesus  Avrought  by  His  sinless  life  and  vicarious  suffering  and 
death,  that  righteousness  of  which  we  say, 

Jesus,  Thy  blood  and  righteousness 
My  beauty  are,  my  glorious  dress. 

And  why  does  the  Holy  Ghost  reprove  the  world  of  this 
rio-hteousness?  Because  the  world  does  neither  know  of  nor  care 
for  this  righteousness.  Very  many  of  the  children  of  this  world 
never  think  of  })reparing  for  the  hereafter.  They  live  and  die 
like  brutes.  And  those  who  do  believe  in  a  blessed  hereafter  seek 
to  get  there  by  their  own  righteousness.  By  nature  we  all  do  not 
know  otherwise  and  do  not  think  otherwise  than  that,  if  there 
is  another  life  beyond  the  grave,  we  must  be  good  and  do  good 
in  this  world,  that  we  may  obtain  eternal  life  ;  we  must  do  at 
least  the  best  we  can,  and  rel}'  on  the  mercy  of  a  good  God  for 
the  rest;  in  short,  we  must  do  the  work  ourselves  and  expect 
heaven  as  a  reward  for  our  good  deeds. 

Now  the  Holy  Ghost  reproves  the  world  concerning  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ  which  He  has  wrought  out  for  the  whole  sin- 
ful world.  He  addresses  man  by  the  "Word  of  God  and  says  to 
him,  How  dare  you  expect  to  gain  heaven  by  your  own  righteous- 
ness? You  are  a  sinner  and  before  God  all  your  righteousnesses 
are  as  filthy  rags.  You  are  born  in  sin,  and  polluted  with  sin, 
and  corrupted  from  head  to  foot.  All  that  you  are,  say,  and  do, 
is  sin.  Your  very  hope  of  expecting  eternal  life  for  your  own 
good  deeds  is  sin,  an  act  of  disobedience.  You  are  lost,  eternally 
lost,  if  by  your  own  sinful  righteousness  you  attempt  to  gain 
heaven.  But  lo  !  God  has  made  provision  for  you  in  His  great 
love.  He  would  not  have  you  die  in  your  sins  and  be  eternally 
lost:  He  sent  His  beloved  Son  into  the  world  to  work  out  for 
you  that  righteousness  which  you  cannot  afford,  because  you  are 
a  sinner.  He  had  Him  lead  for  3'ou,  in  your  stead,  a  life  with- 
out sin,  and  had  Him  atone  for  your  transgressions  by  His  suffer- 
ing and  death  on  the  cross.  And  now  3'ou  must  appropriate  to 
yourself  this  righteousness  of  Jesus  the  Savior;  you  must  believe 
in  Christ  and  build  all  your  hope  for  a  blissful  hereafter  on  Jesus' 
blood  and  righteousness.  That  is  the  way  to  eternal  salvation, 
and  the  onlv  wav;   there  is  no  other. 


FOUliTlI    SiLXDAY    AFTKIi    EASTER.  11»9 

Let  US  all  make  sure  of  Christ's  righteousness,  then.  Also 
Christians  are  sometimes  tempted  to  forget  tliat  it  is  Jesus  alone 
who  has  saved  them,  and  to  seek  help  elsewhere  than  in  the  wounds 
of  Him  who  died  that  we  might  live.  Let  us  alwa^^s  bear  in  mind 
that  there  is  no  salvation  in  any  other,  and  that  there  is  none  other 
name  under  heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved, 
but  the  blessed  name  of  Jesus. 

IIL 

The  Holy  Ghost  reproves  the  world,  thirdly,  of  judgment. 
^^  Of  judgment^''  says  Jesus,  ^^hecause  the  prince  of  this  world  is 
Judged."  The  prince  of  this  world  is  the  devil.  He  is  judged. 
Judgment  was  pronounced  against  him  when  Jesus  suffered  and 
died  and  rose  again  from  the  dead.  By  sin  Satan  had  dominion 
over  all  the  children  of  men.  He  was  their  master.  They  were 
bound  to  him  by  the  fetters  of  sin  and  could  not  escape  from  the 
prison  of  hell  which  he  had  prepared  for  them.  But  by  Christ's 
going  to  the  Father,  by  Christ's  glorious  Avork  of  redemption, 
the  tie  has  been  removed  by  which  fallen  man  is  bound  to  the 
prince  of  darkness.  Sin  is  taken  away.  It  is  no  more  imputed 
to  those  who  believe  in  the  Redeemer.  The  old  serpent's  head  is 
bruised  and  crushed,  and  he  has  no  longer  any  power  over  man, 
unless  man  himself  prefers  to  remain  in  his  power  and  willingly 
serves  his  greatest  foe.  Satan  has  been  dethroned  and  sentenced 
by  our  Redeemer's  blessed  work.  The  sentence  will  be  executed 
on  the  last  day,  which  may  come  upon  the  world  at  any  time. 

And  why  does  the  Holy  Ghost  reprove  the  world  of  judg- 
ment because  the  prince  of  the  world  is  judged?  That  men  might 
know  whom  they  are  really  serving  in  sin  and  unbelief:  the  devil, 
from  whose  })ower  they  have  actually  been  rescued  by  the  Re- 
deemer ;  the  devil,  who  is  sentenced  to  eternal  torment.  The 
Holy  Ghost  addresses  man  by  the  Word  of  God  and  says  to  him, 
What  foll}^  to  serve  a  master  whom  }ou  are  not  obliged  to  serve, 
a  master  who  treats  you  even  worse  than  the  bloodiest  tyrant, 
who  for  a  short  while  delights  you  with  the  pleasures  of  sin,  and 
then  makes  you  suffer  for  it,  suffer  often  already  in  this  life  and 
then  suffer  eternally  !  Behold  the  judgment  of  the  prince  of  this 
world.  His  doom  is  sealed.  "He  is  reserved  in  everlasting  chains 
under  darkness  unto  judgment  of  the  great  day."     And  his  fate 

14 


200  FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

shall  be  your  fate,  if  you  do  not  (juit  his  service  and  commend 
yourself  into  the  hands  of  Him  who  has  redeemed,  purchased, 
and  won  you  from  all  sins,  from  death,  and  from  the  power  of 
the  devil. 

O  let  us  be  careful,  then,  not  to  commit  our  ransomed  souls 
to  Satan's  power.  Let  us  continually  pray  the  Lord  to  deliver 
us  from  temptation  and  not  to  take  His  Holy  Spirit  from  us. 
And  thus,  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  shall  conquer  the  devil,  the 
world,  and  our  own  sinful  flesh,  and  finally  receive  the  salvation 
of  our  souls.    Amen. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 


John  Kt,  23—30. 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my 
name,  he  will  give  it  you.  Hitherto  have  ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name :  ask, 
and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may  be  full.  These  things  have  I  spoken 
unto  you  in  proverbs:  but  the  time  cometh,  when  I  shall  no  more  speak  unto 
you  In  proverbs,  but  I  shall  shew  you  plainly  of  the  Father.  At  that  day  ye 
shall  ask  in  my  name:  and  I  say  not  unto  you,  that  I  will  pray  the  Father  for 
you:  for  the  Father  himself  loveth  you,  because  ye  have  loved  me,  and  have 
believed  that  I  came  out  from  God.  I  came  forth  from  the  Father,  and  am  come 
into  the  world:  again,  I  leave  the  world,  and  go  to  the  Fatlier.  His  disciples 
said  unto  him,  Lo,  now  speakest  thou  plainly,  and  speakest  no  proverb.  Now 
are  we  sure  that  thou  knowest  all  things,  and  needest  not  tliat  any  man  should 
ask  thee:  by  this  we  believe  tliat  thou  earnest  fortli  from  God. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ  : 

Our  Gospel  treats  of  i)rayer.  We  poor  sinful  mortals  are 
permitted  to  pray,  privileged  to  address  our  Creator,  the  great 
God  in  heaven.  "What  an  honor  !  Common  people  consider  them- 
selves highly  honored  when  they  are  admitted  into  the  presence 
of  a  mighty  ruler  and  i)rincc  to  speak  to  him  and  ask  of  him  some 
favor.  But  how  nmch  greater  is  this  honor,  conferred  ui)on  us 
poor  sinful  creatures,  that  at  any  time  and  everywhere  we  may 
address  thi;  Kuler  of  the  universe  and  confide  to  Him  our  troubles 
and  cares  I 

Do  all  men  make  the  proper  use  of  this  privilege?  Do  all 
men  pray?  No.  Most  i)eople  never  pray.  The  unbelieving  chil- 
dren of  this  world  treat  prayer  with  scorn  and  ridicule.  At  the 
same  time,  let  an  unbeliever  get  into  danger  of  his  life  and,  in 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER.  201 

most  cases,  he  himself  will  make  an  attempt  to  pray  and  to  call 
upon  God  to  save  him,  as  has  often  been  witnessed  in  the  case 
of  shipwrecks,  earthquakes,  and  similar  calamities.  Those  who 
a  short  time  before  had  blasphemed  God  and  ridiculed  prayer  were 
seen  to  be  among  the  first  to  fall  down  upon  their  knees,  and  to 
wring  their  hands,  and  to  cry  that  God  should  help  them. 

Alas  !  it  is  not  only  the  unbelieving  world  that  neglects  prayer. 
Even  faithful  Christians  are  sometimes  neglectful  in  their  duty  to 
pray.  Satan,  the  old  w^icked  foe,  knows  well  that  prayer  is  a  bul- 
wark against  him,  that  there  is  very  little  chance  for  him  to  deceive 
and  to  seduce  the  praying  Christian  into  misbelief,  despair,  and 
other  great  shame  and  vice.  One  of  his  old  tricks  is,  therefore, 
to  throw  all  kinds  of  obstacles  in  the  Christian's  way  to  keep  him 
from  praying. 

Now  in  our  Gospel  we  are  told  by  our  divine  Lord  Jesus  how 
we  may  overcome  those  impediments  which  Satan  places  in  our 
way,  and  Avith  the  aid  of  God  continue  in  our  prayers.  Let  me 
show  you  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit 

HOW  TO  OVERCOME  THE  IMPEDIMENTS  TO  PRAYER. 

This  is  done  by  heeding 

I.    The  express  command  of  God  that  vje  shoidd  pray ; 
II.    TJie  divine  assurance  that  God  is  pleased  with  our  prayer  ; 
III.    The  divine  promise  that  our  prayer  shall  he  heard. 

I.   • 

One  of  the  main  impediments  by  which  Christians  are  often 
kept  from  prayer,  undoubtedly,  is  procrastination,  or  a  putting 
off  of  prayer  for  some  future  time.  You  know  and  feel  that  you 
ought  to  pray,  but  you  think  that  you  are  not  in  the  right  mood 
to  pray  just  then.  You  are  not  in  a  suitable  frame  of  mind  to 
address  the  Almighty.  Your  thoughts  are  not  moving  in  the  right 
channel.  And  so  you  put  it  off  to  a  time  w^hen  you  expect  to  be 
better  prepared  for  prayer.  The  appointed  time  comes  and  lo  ! 
you  are  no  more  or,  perhaps,  even  less  qualified  than  before. 
You  do  not  pray  in  the  morning  when  you  rise,  you  expect  to  be 
inspired  with  more  devotion  later  in  the  day.  The  day  passes, 
your  mind  is  occupied  with  the  things  of  this  life,  and  you  forget 
to  pray.     Or  you  do  not  pray  in  the  evening  before  retiring,  you 


202  FIFTH    SUNDAY    AITKU    EASTEK. 

feel  too  tiivd  and  worn  out,  untl  make  ui)  your  mind  to  i)ray  the 
next  evening.  The  next  evening  eonies,  and  again  you  feel  the 
same  way,  and  prayer  is  neglected!  My  dear  Christians,  wiio 
among  us  has  not  been  deluded  by  this  old  trick  of  Satan  inducing 
us  to  put  off  prayer,  until,  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  found  that 
this  procrastination  was  a  delusion  and  a  snare  aiming  at  the  de- 
struction of  our  soul  ? 

Now,  how  niav  Christians  overcome  this  first  and  most  dan- 
gerous impediment  to  prayer?  By  heeding  the  express  command 
of  God  that  we  should  pray.  Jesus  says  in  our  Gospel,  '-'Hitherto 
have  ye  asked  nothing  in  my  namt^ :  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive,  that 
your  joy  may  he  full.''  This  is  certainly  as  plain  a  command  as 
there  can  be.  Christ  says  to  His  disciples,  "Ask,  and  ye  shall 
receive."  He  does  not  merely  give  an  advice  here,  saying,  it 
were  a  useful  thing  to  i)ray.  He  does  not  leave  it  to  our  own 
judgment  to  determine  for  ourselves  whether  we  should  pray  or 
not.  No,  this  is  a  direct  and  straight  command,  "Ask,  and  ye 
shall  receive."  The  same  command  is  implied  in  the  Second 
Commandment.  For  when  God  saj's,  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Thy  God  in  vain,"  this  implies  that  we  should 
make  the  right  and  proper  use  of  the  name  of  God,  that  we  should 
call  upon  Him  in  every  time  of  trouble,  pray,  praise,  and  give 
thanks.  And  the  same  connnand  is  also  given  by  the  words  of 
the  holy  apostle,  "Pray  without  ceasing,"  and  m  many  other 
passages  of  the  holy  Scriptures,  })oth  in  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament. 

When,  therefore,  we  are  tempted  to  put  off  i)rayer,  when  we 
hear  the  voice  which  says.  You  cannot  pray,  you  are  not  in  the 
right  frame  of  mind  to  converse  with  God,  wait  a  while,  you  will 
do  better  later  on,  let  us  remember  that  these  suggestions  come 
from  the  devil.  Let  us  sternly  oppose  the  old  wicked  foe  and 
say  to  him,  Depart  from  me,  thou  evil  spirit !  Shall  I  transgress 
God's  express  command  which  l)i(ls  me  pray?  Is  not  this  com- 
mand on  the  same  line  with  all  the  rest  of  God's  holy  command- 
ments? If,  therefore,  I  should  keep  all  the  rest  of  God's  holy 
commandinenls  and  offend  in  this  one  point  and  not  pray,  T  would 
be  guilty  of  all.  Wliat  of  it,  if  1  deem  myself  unprepared  and 
not  in  a  suitable  frame  of  mind?  I  might  also  l)e  unj)rei)ared  to 
hear  the  Word  of  God,  and  is  that  an  excuse?     No;   I  shall  not 


riFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTEH.  203 

consider  whether  I  am  i)repared  or  i)ot,  hut  <leein  it  my  duty  to 
pray.  God's  command  stands  and  remains  the  same,  no  niatter 
how  I  feel  about  it.  Aye,  the  less  disi)osed  I  feel  to  pray,  the 
more  will  I  fear  God's  express  command  and  say  to  Him,  O  God, 
Thou  hast  commanded  me  to  pray,  and  I  am  so  negligent,  I  have 
no  desire  and  no  zeal;  forgive  me  my  sins,  O  Lord,  and  fill  my 
heart  with  fervency  and  true  devotion.  And,  my  friends,  if  thus 
we  heed  God's  express  command,  we  shall  soon  be  quickened, 
and  we  shall  triumphantly  overcome  the  impediment  by  which 
Satan  meant  to  fell  us. 

II. 

Another  impediment  by  which  Christians  are  often  kept  from 
prayer  is  a  sense  of  their  own  unworthiness.  When  they  turn  to 
God  to  address  Him  in  prayer  their  own  conscience  will  rise  up 
against  them  and  say,  How  dare  you  pray?  How  dare  you  say, 
Our  Father?  The  holy  apostles,  men  like  Paul,  John,  Peter, 
could  do  that.  But  what  are  you ?  You  are  unworthy;  you  are 
a  damnable  sinner.  And  still  you  mean  to  stand  up  before  the 
just  and  holy  God,  who  is  a  consuming  fire  to  all  evil-doers? 
No  ;  prayer  is  not  a  privilege  for  you.  You  must  be  a  different 
creature  before  you  can  venture  to  pray  to  God.  Does  not  the 
Bible  say,  "We  know  that  God  heareth  not  sinners"?  Such,  my 
friends,  are  Satan's  darts,  by  which  Christians  are  often  assailed, 
especially  when  they  are  in  some  great  trouble .  Indifferent  people, 
secure  sinners,  of  course,  who  never  feel  worried  about  their  sins, 
cannot  understand  this.  Of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  for  in- 
stance, we  read  that  they  prayed  a  great  deal,  and  never  doubted 
their  worthiness.  The  Pharisee  who  with  the  publican  went  up 
into  the  temple  to  pray,  boasted  of  his  own  ^vorthiness  even  in  his 
prayer,  and  said,  "God,  I  thank  Thee,  that  I  am  not  as  other  men 
are,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or  even  as  this  publican." 
And  such  Pharisees  are  to  be  found  to  this  day.  They  are  the 
people  who  trust  in  themselves  that  they  are  righteous,  w^io  do 
not  mean  to  receive  something  of  God  when  they  pray,  but  to 
give  God  something  thereby,  to  enhance  His  glory  and  to  make 
a  show  of  their  own  piety.  Their  prayers  are  not  true  prayers, 
not  an  intercourse  between  the  soul  and  the  true  living  God,  but 
only  a  mockery  of  prayer,  mere  babbling.     True  Christians  who 


204  FIFTH    .SUNDAY    AFTEK    EASTER. 

know  how  sternly  God  is  opposed  to  sin,  frequently  are  held  down 
by  their  own  unworthiness  and  are  made  to  feel  as  if  the}'  nuist 
not  dare  to  stand  before  the  holy  ( Jod  and  address  Him  in  prayer. 

But  how  may  Christians  overcome  this  second  impediment  to 
prayer?  By  heedinu"  the  assurance  which  God  has  given  us  that 
He  is  pleased  with  our  prayer.  This  divine  assurance  is  clearly 
stated  in  our  Gospel,  where  the  Lord  says,  ^^And  I  say  not  unfo 
you  that  I  will  pray  the  Father  for  you:  for  the  Fatlier  Himself 
loveth  you,  because  ye  have  loved  me,  and  have  believed  that  I  am 
come  out  from  God.'''  These  words  must  be  rightly  understood. 
When  Jesus  says,  "I  say  not  unto  you  that  T  will  pray  the  Father 
for  you,"  He  does  not  mean  that  He  will  not  intercede  for  us  be- 
fore the  Father,  or  that  we  should  not  depend  on  His  intercession 
for  us.  No;  what  He  would  say  is  this:  Think  not,  my  dear 
disciples,  that  I  alone  could  pray  for  you,  and  that  you  were  not 
permitted  to  address  the  Father  in  prayer.  Know  that  the  Father 
loves  you  for  ni}'  sake  ;  He  is  pleased  with  your  prayers  which  you 
address  to  Him  in  ni}'  name.  Pray  therefore,  in  spite  of  your  own 
un worthiness ;  pray,  though  you  feel  as  if  you  should  not  dare  to 
approach  the  Ahnighty. 

Let  us  well  remember  this,  my  dear  Christians.  The  Lord 
'Jesus  assured  His  disciples  that  they  were  God's  dear  children 
since  they  believed  in  Jesus  the  Savior ;  and  so  are  we  His  dear 
children  if  we  believe,  for  with  God  there  is  no  respect  of  persons. 
And  look  at  the  disciples,  how  imperfect  they  were  at  the  time 
when  Christ  gave  them  this  comforting  assurance.  They  expected 
of  Christ  that  He  should  establish  a  glorious  worldly  kingdom  and 
make  worldly  rulers  of  them.  They  quarreled  among  themselves 
who  should  occupy  the  highest  rank.  Yet  they  were  assured  that 
the  Father  loved  them  because  they  loved  Jesus  and  believed 
in  Jesus ;  yet  they  were  assured  that  God  was  pleased  with  their 
prayers.  Wh}',  then,  should  we  desist  from  prayer  when  Satan 
holds  before  us  our  unworthiness?  Why  should  we  be  afraid  to 
ap})roach  (iod's  mercy-scat  because  of  our  sins?  Let  us  heed  the 
divine  assurance  that  God  is  always  pleased  with  our  prayers  as 
long  as  we  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  that  is,  in  faith,  with  a  sin- 
cere heart,  in  love  to  Jesus,  and  if  that  faith  were  ever  so  weak 
and  frail  and  had  dwindled  down  to  a  mere  desire  to  believe,  to 
a  bruised  reed  and  smoking  flax. 


FIFTH    SUNDAY   AFTER    EASTER.  205 

III. 

Still,  there  is  one  more,  and  a  very  frequent,  impediment  by 
which  Christians  are  kept  from  prayer,  and  that  is  doubt  whether 
our  prayer  shall  be  heard.  When  a  Christian  makes  ready  to  pray 
for  something  Satan  will  say  to  him.  What  is  the  use  of  praying? 
Do  you  expect  to  alter  the  plans  of  the  Almighty  ?  Worm  of  the 
dust  that  thou  art,  a  tiny  speck  in  the  universe,  do  you  really  ex- 
pect to  accomplish  anything  by  prayer?  God  has  arranged  every- 
thing beforehand,  and  He  will  carry  out  His  arrangements  in  spite 
of  your  prayer.  And  even  if  prayers  are  heard,  your  prayer,  will 
certainly  not  be  heard,  because  your  voice  is  too  weak  to  reach  to 
the  heavenly  throne.  You  are  too  insignificant  a  creature  to  be  rec- 
ognized by  God  in  heaven.  O  how  often  are  Christians  assailed  by 
such  thoughts  !  And  what  is  the  result  ?  They  either  pray  in  doubt 
—  and  then  their  prayer  is  not  heard,  as  the  holy  Apostle  James 
says,  "He  that  wavereth  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea  driven  with  the 
wind  and  tossed.  For  let  not  that  man  think  that  he  shall  receive 
anything  of  the  Lord"  —  or  they  are  kept  entirely  from  i)rayer  by 
this  impediment  of  doubt  as  to  the  efficacy  of  their  appeal  to  God. 

But  hoAV  is  this  im})ediment  overcome  ?  By  heeding  the  divine 
promise  that  our  prayers  shall  be  heard.  Jesus  says,  "Fen7y, 
veriJi/,  I  sat/  unto  i/ou,  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my 
name,  He  will  give  it  you/'  Behold,  Jesus  not  only  gives  the 
distinct  promise  here  that  our  prayers  shall  be  heard.  He  even 
attests  that  promise  by  a  double  oath,  saying,  "Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you."  In  the  face  of  this  direct  promise  ought  not 
every  Christian  to  be  ashamed  of  himself  to  give  room  to  doubts 
arising  in  his  mind  as  to  the  efficacy  of  his  prayer?  Is  it  not  a  sin 
and  a  shame  l^efore  God  and  all  the  world  to  think  that  your  pra^-er 
will  not  be  heard,  when  you  know  that  the  Son  of  God  has  attested 
with  an  oath  that  whatsoever  we  ask  the  Father  in  Jesus'  name 
we  shall  receive?  Do  we  not  give  God  and  His  beloved  Son 
Jesus  the  lie  by  such  doubt?  Can  there  be  a  more  damnable  sin? 
O,  then,  let  us  not  pay  any  attention  to  the  voice  of  Satan  saying 
to  us.  Pray  not,  it  is  useless,  you  shall  not  be  heard  anyway. 
Let  us  heed  the  divine  promise  that  our  prayers  shall  be  heard. 
Satan  is  a  liar;   Jesus  tells  the  truth. 

Perhaps  some  one  will  say  here.  But  does  not  God  sometimes 
refuse  to  ijrant  us  our  requests?    Are  not  many  prayers  unheard? 


206  ASCENSION    DAY. 

The  answer  is,  No  i)niyer  in  Jesus'  name  will  be  unheard.  In  Jesus' 
name  you  may  pray  for  spiritual  gifts,  as,  the  grace  of  God,  the 
forgiveness  of  sins,  and  the  like,  and  these  gifts  you  shall  always 
receive  according  to  special  divine  promise.  In  Jesus'  name  you 
may  also  pray  for  temi)oral  gifts,  for  which  you  have  no  special 
divine  promise,  but  when  you  pray  for  these  temporal  gifts  in 
Jesus'  name,  you  cannot  pray  in  any  other  way  than  Jesus  did 
when  He  said,  "Father,  not  my  will,  but  Thy  will  be  done." 
Though  you  must  pray  in  tirin  faith  and  in  no  wise  doubt  that 
God  will  hear  your  prayer,  yet  you  can  never  pray  in  Jesus'  name 
for  a  temporal  gift  without  affixing  the  condition.  If  it  is  Thy  will, 
O  God,  for  Thou  alone  knowest,  O  Lord,  what  is  truly  salutary 
for  my  immortal  soul.  And  also  this  prayer  for  a  temporal  gift 
is  always  heard,  either  by  granting  the  very  thing  for  which  we 
ask,  or  by  granting  us  a  still  greater  spiritual  blessing  in  the  place 
of  the  temporal  gift  which  we  asked  and  which  would  not  have 
been  truly  beneficial  had  Ave  received  it. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  grant  us  all  His  grace  to  overcome  all 
the  imi)ediments  by  which  Satan  would  keep  us  from  our  prayers: 
that  we  may  heed  the  express  command  of  God  to  pray,  the  divine 
assurance  that  God  is  pleased  with  our  prayers,  and  the  divine 
promise  that  our  prayer  in  Jesus'  name  shall  always  be  heard  and 
accepted.  And  thus  we  shall  be  blessed  with  all  spiritual  blessings 
in  heavenly  places  in  Christ,  until  we  behold  the  Lamb  upon  His 
throne  and  praise  Him  for  ever.     Amen. 


ASCENSION  DAY. 


Makk  ir>,  U— 20. 
Afterward  he  jx|ipeared  unto  tlie  eleven  as  they  sat  at  meat,  and  upbraided 
them  with  tlieir  unbelief  and  hardness  of  heart,  because  they  believed  not  them 
which  had  seen  him  after  he  was  risen.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  into  all 
the  world,  and  preach  the  pospel  to  every  creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  sliall  be  saved;  but  he  tliat  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  And  these 
sipns  shall  follow  tliem  tliat  believe;  In  my  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils; 
they  sliall  speak  with  new  tonjiues;  they  shall  take  up  serpents;  and  if  they 
driJik  any  deadly  tliin«i,  it  shall  not  hurt  them;  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick, 
and  tlicy  shall  recover.  So  tlien  after  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  them,  he  was 
received  up  into  heaven,  and  sat  on  the  ri<:!it  hand  of  God.  And  they  went  forth, 
and  preached  everywhere,  the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  conflrmlufj  the  word 
with  signs  following.     Amen.  , 


ascension  day.  207 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

We  have  heard  the  narrative  of  this  clay's  wonderful  event. 
"God  is  gone  up  with  a  shout,  the  Lord  with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet. 
Sing  praises  to  God,  sing  praises :  sing  praises  unto  our  King,  sing 
praises.  For  God  is  the  King  of  all  the  earth."  Thus  did  David 
rejoice  in  the  Old  Testament  when  God  had  manifested  to  him  that 
the  Savior  would  ascend  into  heaven  and  sit  at  the  ri<rht  hand  of 
God  the  Father  Almighty. 

But  is  Christ's  ascension  into  heaven  really  an  occasion  for 
rejoicing?  Did  He  not  thereby  depart  from  us?  Did  lie  not 
leave  this  earth  and  withdraw  from  us  His  presence  so  that  we  see 
Him  no  more?  He  certainly  did  in  a  certain  sense  absent  Himself 
by  His  ascension  into  heaven.  Still,  we  can  and  must  rejoice  with 
David;  for  though  Christ  is  absent  in  a  certain  sense,  still,  in 
another,  in  a  higher  and  more  important  sense  He  is  present  with 
us,  and  that  presence  was  brought  about  by  His  ascension.  This 
is  what  I  wish  to  impress  upon  your  minds  with  the  aid  of  God's 
Holy  Spirit, 

CHRIST  ABSENT  AND  YET  PRESENT. 
Let  us  see 

I.  In  what  sense  He  is  absent  from  ns,  and 

II.  In  what  sense  He  is  present  with  us. 

I. 

First,  then,  in  what  sense  is  Christ  absent?  We  read,  "*So 
then  after  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  them.  He  was  received  up 
into  heaven,  and  sat  on  the  right  hand  of  God.''  And  in  the 
book  of  the  Acts  we  read,  "He  was  taken  up,  and  a  cloud  received 
Him  out  of  their  sight."  So  our  Lord  was  taken  up  into  heaven 
and  seen  no  more.  After  His  ascension  into  heaven  He  was  no 
more  exposed  to  the  view  of  men.  And  that  is  the  true  nature  of 
His  absence.  By  His  ascension  He  permanently  changed  the  l)ody 
of  His  resurrection  into  an  invisible  body.  Occasionally  He  did 
the  same  thing  before  this.  When  after  His  resurrection  He 
showed  Himself  unto  His  disciples.  He  would  suddenly  api)ear  in 
their  midst,  and  then  again  vanish  and  disappear  before  their  eyes. 
But  now  He  slowly  disappeared  before  them  in  such  manner  as  to 
convince  them  that  henceforth  they  should  see  Him  no  more,  that 


208  ASCENSION    DAY. 

henceforth  He  woukl  no  more  show  Himself  visibly  on  this  earth. 
His  disciples  should  no  more  know  Him  after  the  tiesh.  The 
Lord  did  not  ascend  in  the  manner  commonly  accepted;  He  did 
not  ascend  into  heaven  in  such  manner  as  to  go  up  higher  and 
higher,  until  He  appeared  to  be  a  small  speck  in  the  blue  sky, 
a  speck  that  grew  so  small  that  it  could  not  be  discerned  by  the 
sharpest  eye.  No,  He  only  went  up  to  a  certain  height,  where 
He  was  plainly  seen  by  the  gazing  disciples  from  below,  and  then 
a  cloud  came,  and  He  was  enveloped  in  that  cloud  and  seen  no 
more.     He  had  passed  from  the  visible  into  the  invisible. 

And  "//e  saf  on  the  rUjlii  hand  of  GocW'  as  our  Gospel  says. 
Jesus  Christ,  we  know,  is  God  and  man  in  one  person.  Now^  the 
divine  part  of  Jesus  Christ  could  certainly  not  be  seated  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  in  His  ascension.  According  to  His  divine 
nature  He  had  been  with  God  from  everlasting.  It  was  according 
to  His  human  nature  that  Jesus  sat  at  the  right  hand  of  God. 
And  what  does  this  mean  ?  It  means,  that  according  to  His  human 
nature  Christ  glorified  assumed  the  full  and  constant  exercise  of 
universal  dominion,  rule,  and  government  over  heaven  and  earth 
and  all  creatures,  and  especially  over  His  church  on  earth. 

How,  then,  are  we  to  look  upon  Christ  since  He  ascended  into  . 
heaven,  and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty? 
Did  Ciirist  remove  from  this  earth  His  human  body  and  take  away 
from  us  that  same  body  which  was  born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  suf- 
fered under  Pontius  Pilate,  was  crucified,  dead,  and  buried,  de- 
scended into  hell,  and  on  the  third  day  rose  again  from  the  dead? 
Did  He  take  that  body  away  into  the  unlimited  space  above  us? 
Did  Christ  in  that  body  go  so  far  away  from  us  into  the  skies  that 
now  it  is  beyond  the  stars  and  the  largest  telescope  cannot  reach 
Him?  Is  there  a  certain  place  there,  where  God,  like  an  earthly 
monarch,  has  a  gilded  throne  upon  which  He  is  sitting,  with  Jesus 
Christ,  His  Son,  sitting  at  His  right  side?  Is  the  body  of  Christ 
as  far  away  from  us  as  the  heavens  are  away  from  the  earth? 
No,  God  is  a  spirit.  He  is  everywhere.  He  cannot  be  confined 
to  a  certain  spot.  And  did  not  Christ  Himself  say  immediately 
])efore  His  ascension,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world""  ? 

It  is  true,  the  earthly  manifestation  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord 
closed  on  the  Mount  of  Olives.     In  a  certain  sense  Christ  is  absent 


ASCENSION    DAY.  209 

from  us  since  the  day  of  His  ascension.  That  irracious  counte- 
nance of  our  Lord  is  no  more  seen  by  mortal  eye,  that  thrilling 
voice  is  no  more  heard.  But  what  is  it  that  is  really  absent  of 
Christ?  Is  it  His  body?  No,  it  is  merely  His  visible  conversa- 
tion ;  for  He  was  taken  away  in  a  cloud  ;  it  is  merely  His  lowli- 
ness, His  form  of  a  servant,  for  He  is  exalted  and  sitteth  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty,  that  is  :  unto  Him  is  given 
all  power  in  heaven  and  ui)on  earth.  He  is  withdrawn  from  our 
actual  sight,  and  shall  remain  so  until  that  great  day  when  He 
shall  return  and  come  from  heaven  in  a  cloud  with  power  and  great 
glory  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

11. 

And  now  let  us  see  in  what  sense  He  is  present. 

In  the  first  place  we  must  guard  against  the  Calvinistic  theory 
of  Christ's  spiritual  presence.  It  is  claimed  that  since  His  ascen- 
sion into  heaven  Christ  is  present  only  spiritually,  that  only  the 
divine  part  of  Christ  is  present  with  us,  but  not  His  human  })art, 
that  He  is  present  only  inasmuch  as  our  thoughts  are  occupied 
with  Him,  and  we  believe  on  Him,  and  spiritually  deal  with  Him 
in  our  minds  while  we  feel  and  experience  His  gracious  divine 
presence  with  us  when  He  fills  our  souls  with  peace,  comfort,  and 
joy.  This  theory  is  wrong.  It  makes  two  Christs  out  of  one, 
while  there  is  but  one  God,  and  one  Mediator  between  God  and 
man.  According  to  this  theory  of  Christ's  spiritual  presence  there 
must  be  one  Christ  far  away  from  us,  above  the  stars,  the  human 
Christ ;  and  another  Christ  who  is  with  us  and  everywhere,  the 
divine  Christ.  According  to  this  theory  the  two  natures  of  Christ, 
His  divine  and  His  human  nature,  which  are  inseparably  united  in 
Christ's  person,  and  like  body  and  soul  constitute  and  form  the 
one  Christ,  are  torn  asunder  so  that  there  is  no  Gad-man  JesUs 
Christ,  but  a  man,  or  a  human  nature,  which  is  in  heaven,  and 
a  God,  or  a  divine  nature,  which  is  upon  earth,  making  actually 
two  persons. 

No,  there  is  but  one  Christ,  one  person,  and  as  little  as  the 
body  of  a  living  man  can  be  at  a  certain  place  and  his  soul  a  thou- 
sand miles  away,  so  little  can  Christ's  human  body  be  disconnected 
and  separated  from  His  divinity.  Where  His  divine  nature  is 
there  must  be  His  human  nature.     Though  Christ  ascended  into 


210  ASCENSION    DAY. 

heaven,  yet  He  is  present  with  us,  })resent  not  only  spiritually 
but  also  bodily. 

This  is  the  very  reason  why  we  must  rejoice  over  Christ's 
ascension.  Had  Christ  withdrawTi  from  us  Himself,  even  His 
own  body,  w'hat  comfort  would  there  be  in  His  ascension?  what 
benefit  could  we  derive  therefrom  ?  All  we  could  do  would  be  to 
mourn  over  His  departure  as  we  mourn  over  the  departure  of  those 
whom  we  love.  But  this  is  the  true  comfort  and  benefit  of  His 
ascension,  that  He  no  more  confines  His  bodily  presence  to  a  cer- 
tain locality,  to  a  certain  land  or  place,  but  that  He  is  present 
everywhere,  invisibly,  but  really  and  bodily  present  in  heaven 
above  and  on  earth  below.  It  was  His  ascension  that  brought  this 
about,  exalting  His  human  nature,  endowing  His  human  nature 
with  divine  glory  and  majesty,  so  that  the  man  Jesus  is  just  as 
eternal,  almighty,  omnipresent,  omniscient,  as  is  the  God  Jesus. 

But  though  Christ  is  bodily  present  everywhere,  being 
crowned  Lord  of  all,  to  get  the  benefit  of  His  presence  we  must 
seek  Him  in  His  Word  and  in  His  sacraments.  We  must  know 
that  we  are  lost  and  condemned  sinners  and  that  we  cannot  be 
saved  in  any  other  way  but  by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
has  redeemed  us  })oor  lost  and  condemned  sinners.  We  must  have 
Christ  and  make  Him  our  own  that  we  might  live.  Christ  is 
present  in  His  Word  with  His  saving  grace.  For  this  is  what  we 
read  in  our  Gospel,  '''■Afterward  He  appeared  unto  the  eleven  as 
they  sat  at  meat,  and  upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief  and  hard- 
ness of  heart,  because  they  believed  not  them  which  had  seen  Him 
after  He  ivas  risen.  And  He  said  unto  them.  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that  believeth 
and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned.^'  Here  Christ  institutes  the  ofiice  of  the  holy  ministry 
to  have  His  Gospel  preached  in  all  lands,  and  He  promises  to  save 
all  who  believe  the  Gospel.  Christ  Himself  is  present  where  His 
Word  is  being  preached,  invisibly  present,  and  through  the  Word 
He  offers  unto  all  who  hear  the  })reaching  of  His  (Jospel  the 
treasures  of  His  grace:  forgiveness  of  sins,  life,  and  salvation. 
In  the  early  times  of  the  Christian  church  Christ  also  gave  certain 
signs  unto  them  that  believed.  He  said  to  His  disciples,  ^'^And 
these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe;  In  my  name  shall  they 
cast  out  devils;   they  shall  speak  with   new  tongues;   they  shall 


ASCENSION    1>AY.  211 

tal'e  up  serpents;  and  if  (heij  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shad  imf 
hurt  them;  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  sh<dl  n- 
covery  Christ  promised  these  signs  to  His  church.  Thcv  arc 
rarely  witnessed  among  Christians  in  our  days,  ])ecause  there  is 
no  general  necessity  for  them.  It  was  different  with  the  apostles. 
They  had  to  break  down  the  ramparts  of  heathenism.  Tliev  had 
to  introduce  the  Christian  religion  in  the  world.  And  for  this 
reason  their  preaching  was  supported  by  miracles.  "  TV/ey  irent 
forth,'"  as  we  read  at  the  end  of  our  Gospel,  ^'- and  preached  every- 
where, the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  confirming  the  Word  with 
signs  folio  wing . " 

Not  only  with  His  Word,  the  Gospel,  is  Christ  bodily  present 
and  working  with  those  who  preach  the  Gospel.  He  is  also  present 
in  His  sacraments.  Christ  says,  "^e  that  believeth  and  is  bap- 
tized shall  be  saved.'"  When  a  child  is  being  baptized  Jesus  is 
invisibly  present  and  blesses  that  child.  When  to  an  adult  the 
holy  sacrament  of  Baptism  is  applied  Jesus  is  there  and  imi)arts 
to  the  believing  Christian  the  forgiveness  of  all  his  sins.  And  it 
is  the  same  thing  with  the  other  sacrament,  the  Lord's  Supper. 
There  the  Lord  is  bodily  present.  In,  with,  and  under  the  bread 
and  wine  He  gives  us  His  true  body  and  blood  as  a  token  that  our 
sins  are  forgiven.  It  is  not  a  spiritual  eating  and  drinking  of 
Christ's  body  and  blood,  and  the  bread  and  wine  is  not  merely 
a  sign  or  emblem  to  remind  us  of  the  body  He  gave  for  us  and 
the  blood  He  shed  for  us,  but  therewith  is  connected  His  real, 
true  body  and  blood,  mj^steriously  connected  with  the  bread  and 
wine;  and  it  is  by  a  sacramental,  incomprehensible  eating  and 
drinking  that  we  receive  the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord. 

Thus  we  have  seen,  my  friends,  though  absent  in  a  certain 
sense,  namely  inasmuch  as  we  do  not  see  Him,  Christ  is  not  absent 
from  us,  strictly  speaking.  He  is  j^resent.  He  became  even  more 
present  by  His  ascension  than  He  had  been  before.  And  to  this 
day  He  is  making  true  His  promise,  "Zo,  I  am  ivitli  you  alway^ 
even  unto  tlie  end  of  the  world"     Amen. 


212  SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 


John  15,  2f,— in,  4. 
But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father, 
even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall  testify  of 
me :  and  ye  also  shall  bear  witness,  because  ye  have  been  with  me  from  tlie  lie- 
ginning.  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  tliat  ye  should  not  be  offended. 
They  shall  put  you  out  of  the  synagogues :  yea,  the  time  cometh,  that  whosoever 
killeth  you  will  think  that  he  doetli  God  service.  And  these  things  will  tliey  do 
unto  you,  because  they  have  not  known  the  Father,  nor  me.  But  these  things 
have  I  told  you,  tliat  when  the  time  shall  come,  ye  may  remember  that  I  told 
you  of  them.  And  these  tilings  I  said  not  unto  you  at  the  beginning,  because 
I  was  with  you. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ: 

Bv  the  tii-st  words  of  our  Gospel  our  attention  is  directed  to 
the  great  festival  wliich  we  shall  celebrate  next  Sunday,  the  festival 
of  Pentecost  or  Whitsunday.  For  when  Jesus  says,  "-But  when 
the  Comforter  is  come,  wJiom  I  ivill  send  unto  you  from  the  Father^ 
even  the  Spirit  of  tmth ,  ivhirh  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  He 
shall  test  iff/  of  me,'''  lie  evidently  refers  to  the  wonderful  effusion 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  on  tlie  day  of  Pentecost  came  down  upon 
the  disciples  as  they  were  assembled  in  Jerusalem,  and  rested  ui)on 
their  heads  in  the  shape  of  cloven  tongues  as  of  fire,  and  filled 
their  hearts,  and  enabled  them  to  i)roclaim  the  great  works  of 
God,  done  for  the  salvation  of  man,  in  all  the  languages  of  the 
world. 

But  why  did  Jesus  have  the  Spirit  come  upon  His  disciples  in 
such  peculiar  manner  and  entrust  them,  as  it  were,  to  the  Spirit, 
that  the  Spirit  should  take  them  in  charge  after  His  ascension  into 
heaven?  We  have  heard  that  in  the  Gospel  of  Sunday  before 
last,  where  C-hrist  says,  "I  have  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but 
ye  cannot  bear  them  now.  Howbeit  when  He,  the  Spirit  of  truth, 
is  come,  He  will  guide  you  into  all  truth  :  for  He  shall  not  speak 
of  Himself;  but  whatsoever  He  shall  hear,  that  shall  He  speak: 
and  He  will  show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me:  for 
He  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you."  Behold, 
this  is  what  the  Holy  Ghost  was  to  do  and  what  He  did  in  the 
disciples.  He  was  to  tesstify  of  Christ,  He  was  to  endow  them 
Avith  a  perfect  understanding  of  Christ  and  His  great  work  of 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTEK.  213 

redemption,  He  was  to  tell  them  all  those  things  which,  on 
account  of  their  weakness,  they  could  not  bear  while  Jesus  was 
with  them. 

However,  Jesus  says  to  His  disciples.  You  must  not  think 
that  testifying  of  me,  bearing  witness  of  me,  is  an  exclusive  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  No,  says  Jesus,  ''Ye  also  shall  bear  untness, 
because  ye  have  been  with  me  from  the  beginning."  And  here- 
upon He  discloses  unto  them  a  part  of  their  future  life.  He  tells 
them  how  they  should  be  hated  and  persecuted  of  the  world  for 
bearing  witness  of  their  divine  Lord  and  Master.  This  induces 
me  to  speak  to  you  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  of 

PERSECUTION  FOR  CHRIST'S  SAKE. 
I  shall  show  you 

I.    That  true  Christians  must  suffer  persecution^  and 
II.    Why  true  Christians  are  persecuted, 

I. 

Jesus  says  to  His  disciples,  ''They  shall  j)ut  you  out  of  the 
synagogues :  yea,  the  time  cometh,  that  ivhosoever  killeth  you  will 
think  that  he  doeth  God  service.  And  these  things  will  they  do 
unto  you,  because  they  have  not  hnoion  the  Father,  nor  me." '  In  the 
most  distinct  terms  Jesus  here  predicts  persecution  to  come  upon 
His  disciples.  And  the  same  prediction  He  made  at  different 
times  and  occasions.  Shortly  before  our  text  He  says,  "If  the 
world  hate  you,  ye  know  that  it  hated  me  before  it  hated  you. 
.  .  .  Remember  the  word  that  I  said  unto  you,  The  servant  is  not 
greater  than  his  lord.  If  they  have  persecuted  me,  they  will  also 
persecute  you."  And  at  another  place  He  says  to  His  disciples, 
"Behold,  I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves.  .  .  . 
They  Avill  deliver  you  up  to  the  councils,  and  they  will  scourge 
you  in  their  s3niagogues  :  and  ye  shall  be  brought  before  gov- 
ernors and  kings  for  my  sake,  for  a  testimony  against  them  and 
the  Gentiles." 

Upon  the  disciples  these  predictions  came  true  to  the  letter. 
The  history  of  the  apostles,  as  put  down  by  St.  Luke  in  the  book 
of  the  Acts,  contains  an  account  of  the  persecutions  whicii  the 
disciples  had  to  suffer  at  the  hands  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  ;  and  the 
books  of  the  early  history  of  the  Christian  church  are  a  supple- 


214  SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTEU    EASTEU. 

meut  to  that  account.  These  brave  witnesses  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
were  beaten,  scourged,  cast  into  prison,  i)iaced  in  the  stocks, 
stoned,  tortured,  killed.  Stephen  prochiinis  Jesus  and  is  stoned 
to  death.  No  sooner  is  Saul,  the  honored  and  distinguished 
Pharisee,  converted  to  Christ  than  he  is  cast  out  of  the  synagogue. 
He  is  intenseJy  hated  by  his  former  friends,  bitterly  persecuted, 
and  finally,  after  enduring  countless  hardships,  he  is  beheaded  in 
the  city  of  Rome.  .Tames  is.  cast  down  from  the  pinnacle  of 
the  temple  and  killed.  Each  and  every  one  of  the  apostles  meets 
with  a  violent  death  excei)ting  St.  John,  and  he  is  reported  to  have 
escaped  such  a  death  ])v  miracle. 

We  must  not,  however,  think  that  Christ's  prediction  was 
meant  for  the  disciples  only.  It  was  meant  for  all  true  Christians. 
All  true  Christians  must  expect  to  be  hated  and  persecuted  of  the 
world.  Jesus  says  expressly,  "If  any  man  will  come  after  me, 
let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me.  For 
whosoever  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it :  and  whosoever  will  lose 
his  life  for  my  sake  shall  save  it."'  And  it  is  of  all  His  followers 
that  Jesus  savs  Matt.  10,  22,  "Ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for 
my  name's  sake."  And  does  not  St.  Paul  say  distinctly,  "All 
that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution"? 

If  we  glance  over  the  history  of  the  Christian  church  we  will 
find  that  it  is  the  history  of  constant  persecutions,  which  the  be- 
lievers in  Jesus  Christ,  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  had  to  suffer, 
persecutions  inflicted  upon  them  by  the  unbelieving  world.  The 
greater  the  zeal  with  which  true  Christians  were  inspired  at  any 
period  of  time,  the  more  fiercely  and  cruelly  were  they  persecuted. 
Especially  the  three  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era  are  marked 
by  persecutions  so  cruel,  so  sickening,  as  to  make  the  blood  curdle 
when  you  think  of  it.  Not  only  were  the  Christians  apprehended 
and  cast  into  the  dungeons,  they  were  also  put  to  death  in  the 
most  shocking  manner  intended  to  frighten  the  other  Christians 
that  they  should  deny  Christ,  renounce  Christianity,  and  turn  to 
heathen  i)ractices.  They  were  crucified  head  downward,  scalded 
with  l)oiling  oil,  cast  before  the  wild  beasts  in  the  arena,  or  slain 
with  the  sword.  And  why  were  the  heathen  so  eager  to  shed  the 
blood  of  Christians?  It  was,  as  Christ  says,  that  by  killing  the 
Christians  they  thought  they  were  doing  God  service.  Chris- 
tians were  held  responsible  for  every  calamity.     Did  a  drought 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTEK.  215 

occur,  the  common  exphmation  was  that,  if  God  refused  rain, 
the  Christians  were  at  fault.  Did  the  Nile  refuse  its  annual 
irrigation,  or  the  Tiber  overflow  its  banks,  did  earthquake  or 
famine  or  any  other  calamity  excite  the  popular  mind,  a  ready 
cause  w^as  in  every  mouth :  The  anger  of  the  gods  on  account  of 
the  increase  of  Christianity,  and  a  ready  sacrifice  to  propitiate 
the  offended  deities  was  immediately  resorted  to,  The  slaufrhter 
of  the  Christians, 

Such  were  the  dealings  with  Christians  in  the  early  times  of 
the  Christian  church.  And  how  were  the  true  Christians  treated  in 
the  time  of  the  Reformation,  four  hundred  years  ago?  Think  of 
the  horrors  of  the  inquisition  and  all  those  instruments  of  torture 
that  were  invented  under  the  papal  rule  to  stamp  out  the  Protes- 
tant heresy,  as  it  was  called.  Think  of  the  poor  Waldenses,  who 
dissented  from  the  doctrines  of  the  papacy  prior  to  the  Reforma- 
tion, and  who  had  to  hide  in  the  mountains  that  they  might  escape 
extermination  at  the  hands  of  Rome's  bloodthirsty  executioners. 
Think  of  Luther,  whose  hfe  was  continually  at  stake,  and  whom 
his  friends  had  to  secrete  for  a  time  that  he  might  escape  the  fate 
of  John  Huss,  Think  of  the  Huguenots  in  France,  how^  they  were 
massacred  in  cold  blood. 

And  must  not  ti'ue  Christians  suffer  persecution  to  this  day? 
Truly,  the  blood  of  martyrs  is  still  flowing,  and  though  this  age 
boasts  of  being  an  age  of  enlightenment  and  progress  the  Turk  is 
permitted  to  massacre  thousands  upon  thousands  of  Christians, 
and  nothing  is  being  done  by  the  worldly  powers  to  stay  his  mur- 
derous hand.  Onl}^  a  short  time  ago  a  letter  was  circulated  stating 
that  in  the  late  Armenian  massacre  not  less  than  75,000  Christians 
died  the  death  of  martyrs,  mostly  men,  and  that  about  100,000 
Christian  orphans  have  been  left  behind  to  be  looked  after,  clothed, 
and  fed  by  Christians  in  all  lands.  The  bloody  persecutions  of 
native  and  foreign  Christians  in  China  are  of  recent  occurrence. 
And  if  you  are  a  true  Christian,  if  you  profess  the  faith,  depend 
on  it  that  you  wall  have  to  suffer  for  it  in  some  way.  The  world 
will  hate  you.  Your  best  friends  might  desert  you.  Your  own  rel- 
atives, if  they  still  cling  to  the  world,  will  l)e  against  you.  You 
will  have  to  suffer  persecution  and  endure  the  hatred,  the  scorn 
and  ridicule,  the  antagonism,  the  malice  of  the  evil  world  for  the 
sake  of  Jesus  whom  you  profess  before  them. 


2H3  SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

II. 

And  now  let  us  see  why  Christians  are  being  persecuted. 

Men  have  often  been  offended  in  these  persecutions  which 
Christians  must  suffer.  It  has  been  said,  Why  does  not  God 
protect  those  whom  He  loves?  If  He  is  the  Ruler  over  all,  if 
He  is  almighty,  if  He  can  turn  even  the  hearts  of  men,  why 
does  He  not  turn  the  hearts  of  those  who  thirst  after  the  blood 
of  His  children  and  stay  their  nuirderous  hands?  To  all  ques- 
tions of  this  kind  we  find  a  re})ly  in  our  Gospel.  Jesus  says, 
'•'■  These  tilings  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  ye  should  not  be 
offended,^'  and  again  He  says,  ^'■But  these  things  have  I  told  you, 
that  ichen  the  time  shall  come,  ye  may  remember  that  I  told  you 
of  them.''  Be  not  offended,  then,  says  Jesus,  when  you  see  per- 
secutions coming.  Remember,  I  told  you  that  they  shall  come 
and  must  come,  and  rest  contented  there.  Do  not  endeavor  to 
pry  into  secrets  which  have  not  been  revealed,  or  to  fathom  depths 
which  you  shall  never  reach  with  the  line  of  human  understanding. 
Why  God,  who  is  and  ever  remains  a  divine  Protector  of  all  that 
trust  in  Him,  will  permit  dire  persecutions  to  come  upon  those 
whom  He  loves,  %vJty  He  will  stay  the  hand  of  the  persecutor  in 
one  land  and  not  in  another,  lohy  He  will  let  scores  of  years  roll 
on  without  any  notable  persecution  and  then  let  persecutions  come 
in  full  force,  wliy  He  will  let  one  Christian  suffer  more,  another 
less — these  are  mysteries  which  human  reason  will  never  solve. 
And  because  the  faith  of  a  Christian  receives  a  severe  shock  when 
he  must  encounter  persecutions,  Jesus  says,  "Be  not  offended. 
Remember,  I  told  you  that  it  should  come ;  know  that  I  have  not 
deserted  you.  I  love  you  still.  Keep  the  faith  and  endure  to  the 
end,  and  you  shall  l)e  saved." 

Our  divine  Lord  also  states  the  true  reason  why  the  chil- 
dren of  this  world  persecute  His  dear  Christians.  He  says,  ^^And 
these  things  loill  they  do  unto  you,  because  they  have  not  known 
the  Father,  nor  me.''  These  words  almost  sound  as  if  Jesus 
intended  thereb}'  to  excuse  the  children  of  this  w'orld  for  perse- 
cuting the  Christians,  as  if  He  would  say.  They  are  not  so  nmch 
to  blame,  they  arc  ignorant,  they  know  no  better.  But  this  is 
not  the  case.  For  to  know  the  Father  and  to  know  Christ,  in 
the  language  of  the  Scriptures,  is  the  same  thing  as  believing 
in  and  loving  the  Father  and  His  Son  Jesus.     Not  to  know  the 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTEU    EAISTEK.  217 

Father  and  Jesus  is,  therefore,  the  same  thing  as  not  to  believe 
in,  not  to  love,  but  to  hate  and  to  reject  the  true  God  and  His 
beloved  Son.  So  the  reason  why  the  children  of  this  world  per- 
secute the  Christians  is  not  simply  because  they  did  not  know  any 
better  and,  therefore,  were  not  to  be  held  so  much  accountable 
for  their  wickedness,  but  because  they  are  opposed  to  the  true 
God  and  His  beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ,  because  they  hate  Him 
and  instead  of  loving  God  love  themselves,  love  sin,  love  the 
pleasures  of  this  life  and  the  honor  and  vain  glory  of  this  world. 
And  they  cannot  display  their  hatred  against  God  in  any  other 
way  than  by  abusing,  harassing,  ill-treating,  persecuting  those 
who  truly  believe  in  Him.  In  the  Christians  they  actually  perse- 
cute God  and  the  Lord  Jesus.  When,  therefore,  Saul,  on  his 
way  to  Damascus  to  persecute  the  Christians,  was  thrown  to  the 
ground  and  heard  the  voice  from  heaven  saying,  "Saul,  Saul,  why 
persecutest  thou  me?"  and  said,  "Who  art  Thou,  Lord?""  the 
answer  came,  "I  am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest."  The  chil- 
dren of  this  world  cannot  bear  to  see  the  Christians  walking  the 
narrow  way  that  leads  to  eternal  life,  shunning  the  world's  evil 
lusts,  and  keeping  themselves  from  sin ;  for  this  conduct  of  Chris- 
tians reminds  them  continually  of  their  wickedness  and  silently 
condemns  their  evil  actions.  They  cannot  bear  to  hear  Christians 
speaking  of  Jesus  the  Savior  and  saying  that  though  they  are  sin- 
ners the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  which  was  shed 
for  all  men  on  the  cross,  has  cleansed  them  from  all  their  sins; 
for  this  declaration  condemns  them  and  im})lies  that  they  who 
refuse  to  believe  in  Christ  shall  be  eternally  lost  because  they  do 
not  believe  in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  uphold  us  all  in  the  persecutions  wiiich 
we  must  endure  for  His  name's  sake,  and  ours  shall  be  the  promise, 
"Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  revile  you,  and  i)ersecute  you, 
and  shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my  sake. 
Rejoice  and  be  exceeding  glad :  for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven." 
Amen. 


218  PENTECOST   SUNDAY. 

PEXTECOST  SUNDAY. 


John  U,  23—31. 
If  a  man  love  me,  lie  will  keep  my  words :  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and 
we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  at)ode  with  him.  He  that  loveth  me  not 
keepeth  not  my  ssayinjis  :  and  tlie  word  wiiith  ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but  the  Father's 
which  sent  me.  These  thinjrs  liave  1  spoken  unto  you,  being  yet  present  with 
you.  But  the  Comforter,  whicli  is  the  Holy  Giiost,  whom  the  Father  will  send 
in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remem- 
brance, whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you.  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I 
give  unto  you:  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled,  neither  let  it  be  afraid.  Ye  have  heard  how  I  said  unto  you,  I  go 
away,  and  come  again  unto  you.  If  ye  loved  me,  ye  would  rejoice,  because 
I  said,  I  go  unto  tlie  Father:  for  my  Father  is  greater  than  I.  And  now  I  have 
told  you  before  it  come  to  pass,  tliat,  when  it  is  come  to  pass,  ye  might  believe. 
Hereafter  I  will  not  talk  much  with  you:  for  the  prince  of  this  world  cometh, 
and  liath  nothing  in  me.  But  that  the  world  may  know  that  I  love  the  Father; 
and  as  the  Father  gave  me  commandment,  even  so  I  do.    Arise,  let  us  go  heuce. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ  : 

Our  Gospel  does  not  refer  to  the  great  historical  fact  of  the 
day.  It  does  not  tell  of  the  wonderful  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  It  goes  a  step  farther  and  tells  of  the  fruit  and  result  of 
the  great  miracle  of  Pentecost.  The  great  miracle  of  Pentecost 
is  narrated  in  the  Epistle  of  the  day.  The  Lord  Jesus  had  told 
His  disciples,  before  His  ascension  into  heaven,  not  to  de})art 
from  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  but  to  remain  until  they  should  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Ghost.  It  was  on  a  Sunday  morning,  the  tenth 
day  after  His  ascension,  when  they  were  all  assembled  in  a  cer- 
tain building  in  Jerusalem,  most  likely  the  temple.  This  was  a 
festival  day  for  the  children  of  Israel,  and  that  may  account  for 
the  presence  of  the  disci})les  in  the  temple.  It  was  the  fiftieth 
day  after  the  feast  of  the  Passover,  called  in  the  Greek  language 
"Pentecost,"  meaning  the  fiftieth.  On  this  day  Jerusalem  was 
generally  filled  with  throngs  of  people  coming  in  from  the  prov- 
inces, to  worship  the  Lord  in  the  temple  and  to  thank  Him  and 
offer  sacrifice  for  the  first  fruits  of  harvest.  And  what  was  done 
when  the  disciples  of  Christ  were  assembled  for  prayer  on  this 
day?  Suddenly  there  was  a  peculiar  sound  from  heaven  as  if  a 
tornado  were  approaching.  The  noise  was  that  of  a  rushing, 
mighty  wind,  which  descended  upon  the  place  where  the  dis- 
<ij)l(s  were,  and  filled  the  house.     The  people  of  Jerusalem  must 


PENTECOST    SUNDAY.  219 

certainly  have  felt  alarmed  and  must  have  rushed  out  into  the 
streets  to  find  out  what  was  the  trou})le.  The  .sound  led  them  to 
the  temple.  Perhaps  they  expected  to  find  the  massive  structure 
damaged  by  the  force  of  the  wind.  They  entered  and,  l)ehold, 
not  only  was  the  building  intact,  but  a  sight  greeted  them  such 
as  they  had  never  seen.  There  stood  the  discipk;s  of  Christ,  the 
believers  in  Christ,  both  men  and  women,  and  upon  the  head 
of  each  of  them  was  to  be  seen  a  living  flame  in  the  shape  of 
tongues  as  of  fire,  fire  burning  and  yet  not  consuniino-.  Amaze- 
ment seized  upon  the  people  at  what  they  saw  ;  but  still  trrcater 
was  their  amazement  at  what  they  heard.  These  simple,  unedu- 
cated men,  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  were  preaching;  they 
were  proclaiming  the  great  deeds  of  God.  And  the  greatest 
marvel  was  that  they  spoke  languages  which  they  had  never 
learned,  so  that  every  foreigner  could  hear  the  wonderful  works 
of  God  in  his  own  tono;ue. 

This,  my  friends,  is  the  great  historical  fact  of  the  day  as 
recorded  in  the  Epistle.  But  what  was  the  immediate  fruit  and 
result  of  this  fact?  The  establishment  of  the  Christian  Church. 
On  this  day  the  first  Christian  congregation  was  formed  in  the 
city  of  Jerusalem,  and  not  less  than  three  thousand  souls  w^ere 
added  at  once  as  a  result  of  the  great  Pentecostal  miracle.  I  say, 
therefore,  that  our  Gospel  goes  a  step  farther,  for  it  evidently 
treats  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  subject  of  our  dis- 
course shall  be,  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST: 

I.  Its  true  'members. 
11.  Its  undeceiving  marks. 
HI.  Its  firm  foundation. 

I. 

According  to  the  divine  Word  the  entire  human  family  is 
divided  into  two  classes  of  men :  children  of  the  world  and  chil- 
dren of  God.  The  children  of  the  world  are  those  who  walk  the 
broad  way  that  leads  to  eternal  destruction,  and  the  children  of 
God  are  those  who  walk  the  narrow  way  that  leads  to  eternal 
life.  The  one  class  is  the  world,  and  the  other  class  is  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  there  is  no  third  class  of  men.  You 
must  either  be  a  member  of  the  Cimrch  of  Jesus  Christ  or  a  mem- 


220  PENTECOST    SIXDAY. 

ber  of  the  world.  You  must  either  be  walking  among  those  who 
an;  bound  for  eternal  danniation,  or  among  those  who  are  mak- 
ing for  eternal  life. 

But  bow  may  you  know  whether  you  are  walking  in  the  nar- 
row path?  How  may  you  know  whether  you  are  a  true  member 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ?  Jesus  says  in  our  Gospel,  "//'a 
man  love  me,  lie  will  keep  my  wordu:  and  mij  Father  will  love 
him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him/' 
The  abode,  the  dwelling  i)laee  of  Jesus  Christ  is  His  Church.  And 
what  does  He  say  of  those  with  whom  He  will  make  His  abode? 
What  does  He  say  of  the  members  of  His  Church  ?  By  what  is  a 
man  to  know  whether  he  is  a  true  member?  Jesus  says,  "//'a 
man  love  me/'  Behold,  then,  a  man  may  be  baptized  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  he  may  be  called  a  Christian,  he  may  make  an  open 
profession  of  the  true  doctrine,  he  may  be  enrolled  as  a  church 
member:  and  yet  he  may  be  in  such  a  state  that  Jesus  cannot 
make  His  abode  with  him  ;  he  may  not  be  a  true  member  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  All  is  in  vain,  all  is  as  nothing,  if  at  the 
same  time  he  does  not  love  Jesus.  It  is  his  relation  to  Jesus  that 
makes  a  man  a  true  member  of  the  church  of  Christ.  But  the 
love  of  Jesus  cannot  exist  without  faith  in  Him.  Love  is  the 
first  fruit  of  faitii.  The  whole  number  of  those  who  love  Jesus 
is  the  whole  nunil)er  of  those  who  believe  in  Him.  And  these 
are  the  Church  of  Christ.  And  of  each  of  these  Jesus  says  : 
"//e  ivill  keep  my  ivords.'"  Note  well:  Jesus  does  not  merely 
say.  He  will  hear  niy  words,  or  read  my  words,  or  receive  my 
words,  but,  keep  my  words.  Keep  them,  that  is,  retain  them  as 
what  they  are  and  for  what  they  are  given,  the  word  of  truth, 
the  word  of  life,  the  Mord  of  our  salvation.  For  Christ's  word 
is  pro{)erly  the  Word  of  the  Gospel,  the  saving  truth  whereby 
God  offers  us  the  benefits  of  Christ  and  works  in  us  acceptance 
thereof.  Those  who  reject  this  Word  in  unbelief  are  not  members 
of  the  Church  of  Christ.  But  those  who  receive  the  Word  of  the 
Gospel  and  kee])  it,  believe  what  it  teaches,  confide  in  its  promises, 
follow  its  guidance,  they,  and  they  only  love  Jesus,  and  they  are 
the  Church  of  Christ.  And  to  emphasize  this  truth  the  Lord  also 
presents  it  in  a  negative  form,  saying,  "//i^  tJiat  loveth  me  not 
keepeth  not  my  sayim/s."  And  if  any  one  should  say.  Why  must 
I  keep  Christ's  sayings  in  particular?  Christ  answers  and  says. 


PENTECOST    SUNDAY.  221 

^'And  the  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but  the  Father's  which 
sent  me.''  The  reason,  then,  why  the  keeping  of  Christ's  words 
is  of  such  paramount  importance  is  because  His  words  are  not 
man's  words,  but  God's  words,  the  Father's  words,  the  last  of 
God's  revektion  to  the  sinful  world,  containing  the  fulHliment  of 
all  previous  prophecies  concerning  the  coming  of  the  ISavior  and 
the  divine  seal  of  His  testimonies. 

Who,  then,  are  the  true  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ?  Those  Tvho  love  Him  and  keep  His  words.  Let  a  man 
be  ever  so  prominent  a  church  member,  if  he  does  not  love  Jesus 
and  keep  His  words,  he  is  in  the  Church,  but  not  o/the  Church; 
he  is  not  a  true  member;  he  is  a  foreign  element  in  the  Church, 
as  the  tares  among  the  wheat.  We  call  the  entire  assembly  of 
those  who  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Triune  God  and  profess 
the  Christian  faith  "the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ."  But  properly 
speaking,  the  Church  is  composed  of  those  only  who  love  Jesus 
and  keep  His  words,  with  whom  the  Father  and  the  Son  have 
made  their  abode,  the  true  believers  who  have  been  regenerated 
by  God's  Holy  Spirit  and  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Consequently,  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  an  invisible  in- 
stitution. God  alone  knows  who  are  its  true  members.  Yet  we 
are  not  to  think  that,  since  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  an  in- 
visible Church  and  known  to  God  only,  it  is  immaterial  to  which 
community  of  Christians  we  belong,  to  which  church  or  denomi- 
nation, as  long  as  we  only  make  sure  of  it  that  we  are  true  mem- 
bers of  Christ's  Church.  For  there  are  undeceiving  marks  of  the 
Church,  and  where  these  marks  are  in  a  Christian  community 
there  is  the  invisible  Church  hidden,  as  it  were,  under  the  out- 
ward surface. 

11. 

Jesus,  in  the  words  preceding  our  text,  had  told  His  dis- 
ciples that  He  would  soon  leave  them.  Now  when  He  told  them 
in  our  text  that  with  the  Father  He  would  come  and  make  His 
abode  with  them,  they  probably  thought :  How  can  He  make  His 
abode  with  us  when  He  means  to  leave  us?  How  can  we  in  future 
times  be  His  abode.  His  Church?  And  how  does  He  meet  these 
thoughts  of  His  disciples?  He  says,  ''These  thinr/s  have  I  spoken 
unto  you,  being  yet  present  vitJi  yon.      But  the  Comforter,  vhivh 


222  PENTECOST    SUNDAY, 

is  tJie  IloJy  G/iOftf,  w/tom  the  Father  will  .send  i)i  my  name.  He 
shall  teach  you  all  ihhi(js,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remem- 
brance^ ivhatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you.''  So  Jesus  directs  His 
disciples  to  the  Comforter,  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  assures  them  that 
the  divine  Spirit  will  be  a  most  jjowerful  agency  to  impart  and 
explain  to  them  His  Word,  and  through  tiieni  to  keej)  His  Word 
among  men  in  the  world,  so  that  there  should  be  a  Church  unto 
the  end  of  days.  Jesus  declares  that  His  words,  His  sayings,  are 
the  undeceiving  marks  of  His  Church. 

Could  it  be  otherwise?  Did  not  Christ  just  say  that  His 
abode.  His  Church,  are  those  who  love  Him  and  keep  His  words? 
Since  love  is  something  which  we  cannot  see,  but  the  words  of 
Christ  are  perceptible  to  our  senses,  must  not  the  words  of  Christ 
be  the  true,  infallible  marks  by  which  we  may  know  whether  the 
Church  is  to  be  found  in  a  community  of  men  or  not?  The  Word 
of  Christ,  His  Gospel,  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  It  is 
the  incorruptible  seed  which  has  the  divine  promise  that  it  shall 
not  return  void,  but  shall  accomplish  that  which  He  pleases,  and 
shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  He  sent  it.  We  may  be  sure 
that  where  the  Word  of  Christ  is  preached,  there  also  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  efficaciously  active  and  sinners  are  born  again,  endowed 
with  faith  and  the  fruits  of  faith,  love  of  Christ,  and  hoi)e  of  life 
everlasting.  And  thus  it  is  that  the  words  of  Christ  are  the  in- 
fallible  marks  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

If  you  get  into  an  assembly  where  they  do  not  accept  Christ's 
sayings  as  the  Word  of  God,  but  as  human  traditions,  then  you 
are  in  a  congregation  of  bhis})hemers,  but  not  in  the  Church.  If 
you  get  into  an  assembly  where  the  words  of  Christ  are  still  ac- 
cepted as  the  divine  Word  in  their  essential  parts,  but,  at  the 
same  time,  distorted  and  made  to  conform  to  the  dictates  of 
human  reason,  then  you  are  in  a  corrupted  church,  in  a  church 
disseminating  both  truth  and  error:  truth,  producing  true  mem- 
bers of  Christ's  invisible  Church,  and  error,  leading  people  astray. 
If  you  get  into  an  assembly  where  tlie  words  of  Christ  are  received 
and  taught  as  they  were  sj)oken,  where  His  Word  is  i)roclaimed 
in  its  purity  and  His  sacraments  are  administered  according  to 
His  institution,  then  you  arc  in  the  true  Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

This  is  the  glory  of  our  dear  Elvangelical  Lutheran  Church. 
We  know  that  we  have  the  marks  of  Christ's  true  Church.     We 


PENTECOST    SUNDAY.  223 

know  that  our  doctrines  are  not  human  inferences  or  deductions 
from  the  Scriptures,  but  express  statements  of  Christ.  "Wo  know- 
that  in  matters  of  faith  our  Church  neither  pays  any  attention 
to  traditions,  nor  to  the  objections  of  human  reason,  but  simply 
asks.  What  does  Christ  say?  and  then  abides  by  His  express 
words.  Let  us  always  abide  by  the  letter  and  spirit  of  Christ's 
sayings,  and  His  Church  shall  be  with  us,  and  ours  shall  l)e  the 
promise,  "If  ye  continue  in  my  Word,  then  are  ye  my  disciples 
indeed;  and  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make 
you  free." 

III. 

But  the  question  is.  Can  we  be  sure  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ?  Can  we  be  sure  that  all  those  precious  promises  will 
come  true  which  Christ  has  given  to  His  Church?  The  answer  is, 
Yes,  sure  beyond  question  and  doubt.  For  this  Church  also  rests 
on  a  firm  and  solid  foundation. 

Jesus  says,  '■^ Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto 
you:  not  as  the  ivorld  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.  Let  not  your 
heart  he  troubled,  neither  let  it  he  afraid.  Ye  have  heard  how 
I  said  unto  you,  I  go  away,  and  come  again  unto  you.  If  ye 
loved  me,  ye  would  rejoice,  because  I  said,  I  go  unto  the  Father: 
for  my  Father  is  greater  than  I.  And  now  I  have  told  you  be- 
fore it  come  to  pass,  that,  when  it  is  come  to  pass,  ye  might  be- 
lieve. Hei'eafter  I  will  not  talk  much  loitli  you:  for  the  prince 
of  this  ivorld  cometh,  and  hath  nothing  in  me.  But  that  the 
icorld  may  know  that  I  love  the  Father ;  and  as  the  Father  gave 
me  commandment,  even  so  I  do.  Ai'ise,  let  us  go  Jience.''^  What, 
then,  is  the  firm  and  solid  foundation  of  the  Church  and  its  glori- 
ous promises?  What  should  make  us  sure  and  certain  that  it  is 
necessary  to  be  a  member  of  Christ's  invisible  Church?  that  in 
His  Church,  and  in  His  Church  alone,  is  salvation,  and  that  He 
will  fulfill  all  His  promises  given  to  His  believers?  Christ's  going 
to  the  Father,  His  victorious  combat  Avith  the  prince  of  this  world. 
His  obedience  to  the  Father,  or,  in  other  words.  His  life,  suffer- 
ing, and  death,  or,  in  one  word.  His  redemption.  Christ  our 
Savior  "redeemed  us  poor  lost  and  condemned  creatures,  pur- 
chased and  won  us  not  with  gold  or  silver,  but  with  His  holy 
precious  blood  and  with  His  innocent  suffering  and  death."    That 


224  PENTECOST    SUNDAY. 

is  the  immovable  foundation  upon  which  the  Church  of  Christ  is 
l)uilt.  If  Jesus  Christ  had  not  come  into  tiie  workl  and  suffered 
and  died  for  the  fallen  human  race,  there  never  would  have  been 
such  an  institution  as  the  Christian  Church.  What  a  firm  foun- 
dation !  It  is  a  foundation  not  made  by  the  hands  of  mortal  man, 
but  l)y  the  immortal  God  ;  not  built  in  time,  but  reaching  back 
into  eternity,  into  the  council  of  the  Triune  God. 

The  Church's  eternal  foundation  is,  in  the  first  place,  the 
love  of  the  Father,  who  decreed  from  eternity  to  have  a  Church 
among  the  fallen  race  and  to  send  His  Son  into  the  world  to  seek 
and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.  The  Church's  foundation  is, 
furthermore,  the  grace  of  the  Son,  who,  in  obedience  to  the 
Father,  atoned  for  the  sins  of  all  men  by  the  sacrifice  of  His 
life,  that  all  who  believe  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life.  The  Church's  foundation  is,  finally,  the  com- 
nmnion  and  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who,  on  this  day,  came 
down  visil)ly  upon  the  disciples  of  Christ  and  ever  since  has  His 
work  among  men,  calling  them  by  the  Gospel,  enlightening  them 
with  His  gifts,  sanctifying  and  kee})ing  them  in  the  true  faith; 
gathering  them  from  all  nations  and  tongues  and  peoples  into 
one  fold  with  one  Shepherd,  into  one  holy  Christian  Church,  the 
communion  of  saints. 

May  the  Lord,  then,  grant  us  all  His  grace  that  every  one 
of  us  be  a  true  member  of  the  invisible  Church  of  Jesus  Christ, 
that  we  always  bear  in  mind  the  true  marks  of  His  Church  and 
not  ho  deceived  by  false  prophets,  and  that,  finally,  we  neither 
doubt  our  Lord's  promises,  nor  fear  for  the  future  of  the  Church, 
because  it  rests  upon  a  foundation  which  the  world  and  the  devil 
and  all  the  powers  of  hell  cannot  overthrow. 

My  Church,  my  Church,  my  dear  old  Church, 

My  glory  and  my  pride. 

Firm  in  the  faith  Immanuel  taught, 

She  holds  no  faith  beside. 

Upon  this  Rock 

'Gainst  every  shock, 

Though  gates  of  hell  assail, 

She  stands  secure 

With  ])roniise  sure: 

They  never  siiall  prevail. 

Ameu. 


PENTECOST    MONDAY.  225 

PENTECOST  MOXDAY. 


John  3,  k;— 21. 
For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  ouly  begotten  Sou,  that  who- 
soever believeth  iu  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  For  God 
sent  not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world;  Init  that  the  world 
through  him  might  be  saved.  He  that  believeth  on  him  is  not  condemned :  hut 
he  that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already,  because  he  hatli  not  believed  in  tlie 
name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.  And  tiiis  is  the  condemnation,  tliat 
light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved  darkness  ratlier  than  ligiit,  l)ecause 
their  deeds  Avere  evil.  For  every  one  tliat  doeth  evil  liateth  the  light,  neither 
Cometh  to  the  light,  lest  his  deeds  sliould  l)e  reproved.  But  he  that  doeth  trutli 
Cometh  to  the  light,  that  liis  deeds  may  be  made  manifest,  that  they  are  wrouglit 
in  God. 

Beloved  Friends  in  Christ  : 

Luther  calls  the  first  sentence  of  our  Gospel  "the  little  Gos- 
pel," because  in  it  is  condensed  the  whole  Gospel  truth.  It  is, 
indeed,  a  text  which  is  fathomless  as  the  depth  of  the  sea  and 
wider  in  its  range  than  the  ocean.  No  minister  can  do  justice  to 
this  text  in  a  sermon.  It  covers  the  whole  field  of  Christian 
theolog^^  Here  we  are  told  of  the  love  of  God;  and  who  can 
tell  all  al)out  God's  love?  Mention  is  made  of  the  world,  and 
that  brings  before  our  mind  the  history  of  man,  his  creation,  his 
fall  in  sin,  and  his  relation  to  the  Creator.  God's  only  begotten 
Son  is  referred  to,  and  we  are  thereb}'  reminded  of  the  fact  that 
there  are  different  persons  in  the  deity.  We  are  told  of  our  re- 
demption through  Christ  Jesus,  of  faith,  of  heaven,  and  of  hell. 
It  has  been  said  of  this  text  that  "it  is  so  vast  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  do  an^^thing  with  it.  It  hampers  a  man  into  silence; 
it  appalls  him.  There  are  some  sentences  that  a  man  can  walk 
around  and  walk  into,  and  take  possession  of  its  truth.  This  is 
not  such  a  sentence.  There  are  sentences  that  are  easily  explained, 
but  this  is  not  such  a  sentence.  There  are  some  sentences  whose 
meaning  we  may  measure  and  take  their  length  and  breadth. 
No  such  sentence  is  this.     It  is  immeasural)lc,  infinite." 

But  it  is  in  substance  the  very  text  u})on  wliich  the  first  ser- 
mon was  preached  in  the  Christian  church.  It  was  the  foundation 
of  Peter's  discourse  when  the  first  Christian  con<>reo;ation  was 
being  formed  in  the  city  of  tlerusalem,  and  is,  therefore,  a  true 
Pentecostal  text.     Since  the  love  of  God  in  Jesus  is  the  keynote 


226 


PENTECOST    MONDAY 


which  sounds  in  our  Gospel  from  beginning  to  end,  I  shall  en- 
deavor to  make  a  few  remarks  on  this  inexhaustible  subject.  Let 
us  consider  with  the  aid  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 

WHAT  THE  LOVE  OF  GOD  L\  JESUS  GIVES  TO  US  Ai\D  ASKS  OF  US. 
I.   W7taf  it  gives  to  us. 
II.    What  it  asks  of  us. 

I. 

''God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son.'' 
In  the  fullness  of  time  God  had  His  dear  Son  become  man.  This 
act  of  love  is  simply  beyond  comprehension.  There  is  no  lanouaoe 
for  it.  So  great  is  the  love  of  God,  it  embraces  the  whole  world, 
the  world  of  sinners,  the  fallen  race,  and  it  parts  with  that  which 
is  dearest  to  Him,  with  His  only  begotten  Son,  for  their  sakes. 
"Through  Christ  heaven  has  come  down  upon  the  earth.  He  has 
built  the  bridge  loading  across  the  abyss  that  man's  sin  has  made 
between  his  trembling  heart  and  his  God.  He  has  effected  the 
holy  chain  that  now  reaches  from  eternity  down  into  time,  and 
with  which  we  can  support  ourselves  in  the  storms  of  life,  and  by 
which  God  will  in  His  own  time  draw  us  uj)  to  His  glorv  above." 

For  to  what  purpose  did  He  give  His  only  begotten  Son? 
''That  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  .should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life.  For  God  sent  not  His  Son  into  the  ivorld  to  con- 
demn the  world;  bid  that  the  world  through  Him  might  be  saved.'' 
It  was  the  salvation  of  all  men,  of  every  individual,  even  of  the 
greatest  sinners,  which  God  had  in  view  when  He  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son.  In  His  Son  He  gave  us  a  prize  and  a  treasure 
which  is  of  infinitely  greater  value  to  us  than  if  He  had  given  us 
stores  of  wealth  and  royal  possessions.  "You  can,  indeed,  have 
many  things,  without  Christ,  such  as  prosperity  and  joy  at  home, 
honor  and  reputation  in  the  world,  earthly  possessions  and  great 
power.  But  when  suddenly  and  without  warning  all  that  of  which 
you  are  proud  crumbles  into  dust ;  when  you  are  deserted  by  your 
best  friends  and  earthly  fame  fades  away  ;  when  3'ou  beirin  to  feel 
that  the  deepest  longings  of  the  soul  are  not  satisfied  by  that  which 
earth  can  offer  you  —  how  poor  and  wretched  must  you  feel  with- 
out Christ !  "  But  in  Christ  you  have  all  that  can  make  you  truly 
happy,  even  when  earthly  happiness  is  turned  into  misery.  Christ 
has  proclaimed  to  us  the  good  news  that  God's  love  is  greater  than 


PENTECOST    MONDAY.  227 

our  guilt ;  and  that,  when  we  have  boconie  rebellious  and  stubborn, 
He  even  then  still  permits  His  face  to  shine  upon  us.  "Christ  is 
the  propitiation  for  our  sins  :  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for 
the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  Christ  has  paid  for  us  the  ransom 
price  and  has  redeemed  us  all  with  His  holy  jirecious  blood  and 
with  His  innocent  suffering  and  death.  Christ  has  successfully 
combated  with  the  foes  of  our  eternal  welfare,  and  delivered  us 
from  death  and  from  the  power  of  the  devil.  Christ  has  worked 
out  for  us  all  a  spotless  righteousness,  so  that  we  should  be  adorned 
with  the  robe  of  that  righteousness  and,  though  we  are  and  remain 
sinners  as  long  as  we  live  upon  this  earth,  appear  before  the  just 
and  holy  God  as  if  we  had  no  sin.  Christ  has  opened  for  us  the 
crystal  portals  of  the  heavenly  city  and  gained  for  us  all  eternal 
life,  eternal  happiness  and  bliss,  so  that  the  sufferings  of  this 
present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  that 
shall  be  revealed  in  us. 

Behold,  this  is  Avhat  the  love  of  God  in  Jesus  gives  to  us, 
offers  to  us,  presents  to  us:  forgiveness  of  all  our  sins,  life,  sal- 
vation, peace,  happiness  without  end.  When  God  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son,  was  not  this  the  greatest  deed  of  love  the  world 
ever  witnessed? 

II. 

And  now,  in  the  second  place,  let  us  consider  what  this  love 
of  God  in  Jesus  asks  of  us. 

Does  God  ask  of  us  that  we  perform  certain  acts  and  do 
certain  things  to  show  that  we  are  worthy  of  His  love?  Does  He 
affix  certain  conditions  and  say,  I  will  love  you  and  give  you  life 
and  salvation,  if  you  pray  to  me,  worship  me,  and  walk  in  my 
commandments?  Many  think  that  they  must  gain  God's  favor 
by  their  own  deeds.  They  think  that  they  nmst  pray  and  be 
good,  and  then  God  will  love  them.  No;  God  loved  us  first; 
He  loved  us  before  we  were  born;  He  loved  us  in  all  our  misery 
and  sin.  From  eternity  He  loved  us  and  decreed  to  give  us  His 
Son,  and  did  actually  give  us  His  Son,  when  the  time  was  ful- 
filled. How  can  we  induce  God  to  love  us  when  He  has  already 
manifested  His  love  to  us  in  His  only  begotten  Son? 

All  that  the  love  of  God  in  Jesus  asks  of  us  is  that  we  accept 
the  gift  which  of  His  boundless  grace  and  mercy  He  has  bestowed 
upon  us,  that  we  accept  His  Son  and,  with  His  Son,  all  those 


228  PENTECOST   MONDAY. 

heavenly  treti.sures  conveyed  to  us  by  Ilis  Son's  work.  Our  Gospel 
therefore  says,  "//e  that  believeth  on  Him  As  not  condeinned;  hut 
lit  that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already,  because  he  hath  not  be- 
lieved in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.'"'  By  faith  we 
must  accept  the  great  gift  of  God.  Hence  it  is  by  faith  alone  that 
we  are  saved,  not  by  our  own  deeds  and  works  of  righteousness. 
If  we  do  not  believe  in  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God  we  thereby 
openly  despise  God's  love  to  us  and  reject  the  gift  of  eternal  sal- 
vation which  He  extends  to  us  in  His  Son.  Hence  it  is  that  he 
that  does  not  believe  is  condemned.  His  condemnation  follows 
as  a  matter  of  course.  He  is  not  condemned  because  God  did  not 
love  him.  God  loved  him  as  much  as  all  the  rest  of  the  world, 
and  gave  His  Son  for  him  as  well  as  for  the  rest  of  men.  Con- 
demnation is  his  own  choice,  as  our  Gospel  says,  ^^And  this  is  the 
condemnation,  that  light  is  come  into  the  icorld,  and  men  loved 
darkness  ratJier  than  light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil.  For 
every  one  that  dmth  evil  hateth  the  light,  neither  cometh  to  the 
light,  lest  liix.  deeds  should  be  reproved.  But  he  that  doeth  truth 
cometh  to  the  light,  that  his  deeds  may  be  made  manifest,  that 
they  are  wrought  in  God.""  Much  has  been  said  and  written  in 
defense  of  unbelievers  to  make  it  appear  as  if,  in  some  cases  at 
least,  there  were  a  good  moral  excuse  for  man's  unbelief.  But  the 
Word  of  (iod  finds  no  excuse  Avhatcver  for  unbelievers.  It  says, 
"They  love  darkness  rather  than  light,  and  their  deeds  are  evil." 
If  the  love  of  God,  which  has  been  made  manifest  in  Christ,  and 
which  supports  and  sustains  us,  and  gives  us  the  best  that  we 
could  wish  for  ourselves  ;  if  the  love  of  God  ivhich  promises 
heaven  to  us  as  the  place  where  our  souls  can  rest  in  peace ;  if 
the  love  of  God,  which  on  the  first  day  of  the  Christian  Pentecost 
so  wondrously  manifestt-d  itself  in  the  coming  of  the  Spirit  —  if 
this  love  of  God  does  not  awaken  a  responsive  love  in  man's 
heart,  there  nuist  be  an  obstinate  aversion  in  such  a  heart  to  that 
which  is  good  and  a  preference  to  that  which  is  evil. 

O  let  us  love  Him,  then,  for  He  hath  first  loved  us  I  Let  us 
believe  in  God's  only  begotten  Son  and  thereby  accept  the  gift  of 
our  salvation  !  Let  us  "not  be  of  them  who  draw  back  unto  per- 
dition, but  of  them  that  believe  to  the  saving  of  the  soul." 

And  now  it  remains  to  be  said  that  this  acceptance  of  the 
benefits  of  Christ  is  not  a  condition  that  man  nmst  fulfill,  l»ut 


PENTECOST    MONDAY.  22!> 

again  a  free  gift  of  God  to  man.  The  same  means  of  diviin' 
grace  by  which  God  offers  all  the  spiritual  blessings  prepared  for 
us,  is  also  the  power  of  God  which  works  in  us  the  acceptance  of 
what  is  earnestly  offered  to  all.  Natural  man,  as  described  in  our 
text,  is  only  capable  of  rejecting  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  loving 
darkness  rather  than  light,  yea,  being  himself  darkness,  dead  in 
sin,  an  enemy  of  God,  unable  and  unwilling  to  accept  the  salva- 
tion which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  But  God  so  loved  the  world  that 
He  also  provided  the  means  whereby  sinners  may  bo  led  fortb 
from  the  thraldom  of  sin,  the  power  of  darkness,  to  His  niarvolous 
light.  It  is  the  Gospel  of  Christ  whereby  faith  is  engendered  in 
the  sinner's  heart,  and  whereby  the  Holy  Spirit  preserves  us  with 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  one  true  faith.  Thus  it  is  God  who  not  only 
enacted  the  wondrous  works  of  Christmas,  and  Good  Friday,  and 
Easter,  but  who  also  works  the  miracle  of  Pentecost  through  all 
ages  and  to  the  end  of  time.  And  hereof  we,  too,  are  witnesses. 
And  hence,  to  the  end  of  our  lives,  our  prayer  shall  be  :  — 

Lord  God,  Thou  Holy  Spirit, 
My  Comforter  and  Guide, 
Gi'ant  that  in  Jesus'  merit 
I  always  may  confide. 
Him  to  the  end  confessing. 
Whom  I  have  known  by  faith. 
Give  me  Thy  constant  blessing. 
And  grant  a  Christian  death. 

Amen . 


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